Appendix
by SerendipitousWays
Summary: A History of Hyrule - a fan resource. How magic works, geography, legends, timelines, and more in no particular order. VI: Races [edited 31-03-2014] and IX: When Plants Attack. [1-8 reposted] Map on deviantART
1. I Time

_**Edited:**__ March 2, 2013 _

_**Appendix Contents**__: _

_A (H) is for a section that is more of an info dump so that I don't do it in a story: sometimes info dumps are done well, but I hate slogging through information all the time in fun reading. It will also keep my A.N. sections short in actual fictions: it's called Appendix for a reason. (Also, hi?)_

_[1] Timelines (H)  
_

_[2-3] Geography (H)  
_

_[4]Magic (H-ish)  
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_[5-7]Gods, lesser gods, and Ganon_

_[8] Time-keeping_

_[9]Races of Hyrule (H)  
_

_[10]Redead Survival Guide_

_[11]Extra: About Sheik_

_[12] When Plants Attack (H)  
_

_Map of Hyrule (dot = . ): serendipitous-way dot deviantart dot com/art/Map-of-Hyrule-almost-done-357951355  
_

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_**A.N.**__ Suffice that I don't own Zelda, I'm writing this purely for my own amusement and refernce, but anyone is welcome to use it – just give credit where it's due, and if you have anything you'd like me to add I'll do the same for you._

_I've never gone from loving a game to apathy before: Nintendo, I don't like being a pin ball! I never really disliked Skyward Sword, but it got rather repetitive and put me off finishing this, but I'm back. It didn't really add much. At all._

_Also note that with regards to the _Hyrule Historia_, I won't be using it as it's hard to work with a text you can't read and I don't actually want the thing. I did try to work in timeline number three though, but since Appendix belongs to head-canon I don't really need it. I'll also add that I don't take the appearance of the Hero into consideration (much) as Nintendo is known for being lazy in character design. And even the Zelda team has said that the 'official' timelines change, I have no problem doing my own thing, especially since this is for a story arch I've been musing on for a very long time. On the other hand, between the timeline and SS I feel mostly vindicated – a fair bit matched up._

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**What Time Is It? No, really.**

**Time Lines**

_(If you want the end result scroll to the bottom)_

This is the first problem anyone that must be addressed before looking at explaining anything else in Hyrule. I mostly ignore the official line since Nintendo admits that the timeline is subject to change – and possibly with prejudice since they make a game and _then_ figure out where it goes. And meanwhile there are many fan theories concerning the order in which the various Legends of Hyrule occur, but there are very few fixed connections that we know, and only a few more general ones, never mind the stories we've yet to be told. But what there are, are here:

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1) The **Legend of Zelda (I)** is followed by **Zelda II: The Adventure of Link**. This is the easiest connection, and directly stated. They even have the same Hero.

2) **A Link to the Past** was originally billed as the predecessor of I and II, but Miyamoto afterward said it followed those two and Ocarina of Time, which may or may not be the 'Imprisoning War.' It is now said to be after OoT but before I and II. Still, this ends as a matter of opinion in the eyes of the players. The official timeline places this after OoT if the Hero failed, which could fit the back-story, but then a lot of games can fit the back-story (so can the Hero-not-a-failure timelines if the Hero had help).

3) **Link's Awakening** could in theory follow any title where Ganon is the titular villain, but generally is thought to follow A Link to the Past. Link also leaves the linked Oracle game in a similar boat to the one in AL, so this is a choice as well, although he neither saved nor left Hyrule.

4) **Oracle of Ages** (manga and wiki source – I keep looking for these games) is first in what was supposed to be three, but only has **Oracle of Seasons** after it. Beyond that, it has a hero who has gone on adventures before, but who is still young. Can follow everything but WW series (not ocean based!) SS and OoT (unless that Zelda has more than one attendant named Impa).

5) **Ocarina of Time** is a monster, and the reason for most of the debate around the timeline. OoT is early, as it has the origins of Ganondorf and the most complete Triforce story. But it is usually seen as having formerly two (now three) possible timelines branching from it – the adult and child, as well as a world where the Hero failed. In the child timeline, after being sent back in time **Majora's Mask** follows immediately, and from there (presumably) **Twilight Princess**. (See #6) Alternately, does TP follow the Adult while ALttP follows the Child? Or is this the onset of Ganon's escape and the Flood?

[Official Timeline: I'm personally tempted to ignore the third time line here (the Hero dying) on the grounds of cheapness – any Hero except the SS one could fail to lead to this timeline, why does it have to be the OoT one? Besides which, how did they seal Ganon? Was Zelda enough in Hyrule? Were there other people of sufficient power or ability to help Zelda as she channelled the Sages power or found another way? (Considering that the only people we see in the future are hiding behind walls, the dead-to-the-world Sages, and the Gerudo who never seemed to have left the desert and were more concerned with protecting their own sovereignty.) I mean, she was alone in the presence of the god-thing which was Ganon after the Hero died, and after her own imprisonment was not likely to be in any shape to do much... Really, I just see the world ending at this point, which once again leaves us with two timelines rather than three. Mind, if there was a plan B...]

6) **Twilight Princess** comes at some indeterminate point after OoT, in either timeline, although it can fit elsewhere. Historically, it is not clear past that there was a) an ancient hero, b) another hero recent enough that TP!Link is looked down on for wearing the Hero's green and c) Ganondorf was sent (not sealed) away at one point by the sages. I'm increasingly tempted to place TP in the adult time line, or in the generation immediately after another serious war due to lack of small settlements and many damaged fortifications in outlying areas.

7) **Wind Waker** (followed by **Phantom Hourglass** then **Spirit Tracks**) is believed (and Historia confirms) to follow OoT, normally in the adult timeline since the Hero's time travelling is known, whereas the people of the child timeline shouldn't know anything about that, and he left after sealing away Ganon. However it could be in any of the three. If it's the child timeline, does Hyrule know what could have been despite Zelda's innocence and then Link fails to return from Terminia, leaving Hyrule in a lurch? Or could he return, but only in time to lead people up the mountains? Or does the Flood occur much later, after the Hero of Time's time? Is the seal on Ganondorf weakened with the removal of the Hero from the adult timeline, resulting in imminent doom, or is that later again, as suggested by the age of the king Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, who one would presume 'died' at the age he appears? And finally – OoT!Link is _not _the only time-travelling Hero! The Oracles Link time-travels, although his Ganon had to be brought back from the dead while WW involves a Ganondorf who never died – who actually seems saner than he was in OoT.

The final option: I would have thought that, of the games, WW is one of the two most likely to follow a Hero's failure. One guy who just seems to be going around being helpful (all those errands he runs) doesn't really equate a hero in most people's eyes, much less the Hero. So if one day he stops coming around and the world starts falling apart (more than it already was) it would be seem as though the Hero did not come at all, and while their prayers for salvation went unanswered another friendly face was lost to wicked world. Meanwhile to explain a Hero who travelled through time and sealed Ganon (Ganondorf being something else) we place theOracles prior to OoT, and to have the Royal family survive OoT in some form Zelda: a) escapes the flood and later has a child or more likely [already mentioned the alone with a god-thing bit] b) had already had a child which was spirited to safety before or after she died. To explain the crossing time mentioned in the WW back-story: maybe the legends got mixed up – someone knew about the Hero crossing time, but reports and stories mixed him with someone who came before or after, and ultimately the myth looks like a successful adult timeline through sheer serendipity. (This sort of thing happens a lot, sometimes even on purpose – to lift confusion or boost a reputation. The _Aeneid_ is a really good example of this: it has two founding myths of Rome combined into a new one which did double duty by glorifying Augustus.)

8) **The Minish Cap**, **Four Swords**, andthe **Four Swords Adventure** (in that order) were a placement problem before SS was released. They still are, in part. There is an ancient Hero mentioned, and many years later MC occurs, followed by (again presumably many years later) FS, and then FSa involves the same Hero and Princess. When FS occurs is problematic though, since all we really know is that it is much later – since long ago a Hero who could divide in four appeared – and that the Palace of Winds has floaty elements strongly reminiscent of Skyward Sword islands in the sky, but now clearly abandoned, unlike in MC. (Connections to the TP City in the Sky?) As for MC: the grave of Hyrule's unifying King is still known, there is a shrine for a sword from the sky which is _NOT_ the Skyward/Master Sword, there is a settlement floating in the sky, there are bird statues in the shape of Loft Birds (Where the whirlwind to the Wind Palace is. Incidentally, who has considered the TP bird statues leading [albeit in a less direct manner] to the sky? They look different, but they're also quite old and worn.) wind and light as a means of travel to the sky, and a blue bird called Zeffa can be called to carry you. And then there's all this talk about Wind Tribe, favoured by the first king Gustaf, who live in the sky which leads me to...

[Offical version aside: Why does the official time line place FSa after TP but FS (the stated immediateprequel – same Link and Zelda even) so much earlier?]

9) **Skyward Sword:** the very reason for updating. Skyward Sword itself didn't actually change as much as it confirmed most of my choices. SS is one of the first legends, the earliest we know though it too hints at an older one. MC is not too long after that, (a few decades to a few centuries,) so early in the timeline rather than late (the sky is inhabited by people other than Oocca). This is not the War of the Bound Chest mentioned in MC, the Master Sword is forged in blood and the fires of the Gods (which just _sounds _cool, doesn't it?) and the stage is set for the Hyrule we know...

That is the interpretation I'll be using, but consider an alternative: what if Skyward Sword isn't one of the first? Zelda does say this: "_You know, they say that the goddess gave the Sailcloth to her chosen hero long ago_." And given that SS!Link's time-travelling is to a point _after_ the land and sky were parted, it cannot be him. SO: SS gives a history including an apocalypse temporarily averted, (and then we avert it again and again _ad infinitum_...) and a rumour of another Chosen Hero of the Goddess, and from other games apocalypses that rather needs averting. No reason that Skyward can't follow something else. Imagine that the Hero fails/does not appear: the Princess, Sages and people pray for salvation and Hylia, rather than deciding water fixes everything, sends her people to safety while dealing with the threat, the Master Sword is reduced, and years later SS comes around... Anyway, it's an idea.

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Introducing a third timeline effectively shot my timeline in the foot, since while it clarifies several things it really just muddies the waters more ... And it doesn't help that time is so fluid in Hyrule. As it stands, the subsequent placements are only the guidelines I use which seem most logical – for now, anyway.

So we have **[_; ****SS;] [[_; MC;] ****[FS; FSa;]]**** [OoT; MM;] TP;** **[OoS; OoA;] ****ALttP;** **[LoZ; ZII;]****LA;**** [_; WW; PH; ST] **in no particular order.

Down to business.

_# is an unknown Hero, [] is the same Hero in different tales, () is a shaky placement.

**ALL:**_** _1; SS; _2; MC; FS; FSa; OoT**_

**_1** is the Chosen Hero of the Goddess Hylia mentioned by Zelda in SS. Could argue it is SS!Link what with the time travel, but the people have already been sent to the sky by the time Zelda seals Demise in the Sealed Grounds, so how would the people of Sky Loft know about him? They wouldn't – there's another guy.

**Skyward**, as mentioned, is the earliest legend we've learned so far.

**_2** is the Hero of Men from the War of the Bound Chest mentioned in the history of the _Minish Cap_: this Hero is from Hyrule but his sword was sent from the sky – it may have a common origin with the Master Sword (because what are the odds two über magic/holy swords of evils bane from the same region are from different sources?).

**The Minish Cap** is early – near enough to the return of Hylians to Hyrule that visitors from the sky coming for festivals don't stand out overmuch but they have already left ruins behind. The Kingdom of Hyrule seems underdeveloped and young: the capitol city streets are dirt rather than pavers; small 'local' type maps for the kingdom; the neighbours lack of contact and/or development (the scattered Gorons and complete absence of Zora); the small size of Lon Lon Ranch (Malon and Talon as local/family names?); memory of the founding king, King Gustaf, and the continued maintenance of his grave all indicate relative recentness. And then there are additional details like the Loft Wing statues, wind crests, Wind Tribe, travel by sailhat, and the bird Zeffa.

**Four Swords** (with immediate sequel **FSAdventure** – none of this TP sequel crap – same characters worrying over the new seal they made) follows next because a male Gerudo by the name of Ganondorf goes into the desert against his people's laws to claim a powerful artefact, using it against Hyrule and ultimately failing. And because if someone prominent bearing a unique name royally fucks up in such a visible way the name has a way of going out of favour, and as there are two games with a male Gerudo by the name of Ganondorf who's actions could have serious repercussions for the Gerudo people who, generally, either did not approve (FS and Nabooru) or were not really involved (FS and OoT [never seen out of the desert])...

He's **OoT** Ganondorf. Personal theory is he wanted a tool to overcome the Royal family's magic in order to expand into Hyrule and support his people (that WW back-story) but lost control (either 'power corrupts' or my head-canon where Ganon ≠ Ganondorf) and failed besides. He eventually, over the course of whatever a generation is to Hylians (about 15-25 years if their lifespan is similar to humans), redeemed himself to his people, became king as was his birth right and began negotiations with the new king of Hyrule (FS!Zelda's husband, presumably) but at some point he heard about the Triforce...

At which point time breaks.

**CHILD**:__1; SS; _2; MC; [FS; FSa;][OoT;__** MM;]**__** ([OoS; OoA;]) **__** TP**_

Link is successful, and Zelda sends him back in time. Navi leaves and the Hero's search for her leads into the event of **Majora's Mask** in the alternate dimension of Terminia. This is the immediate sequel to OoT – there is no debate. Presumably Ganondorf/Ganon got thumped somewhen near then.

**Oracles**, (mostly manga-verse) although there are numerous places it can theoretically go (really as long as Ganon has been vanquished at some point already) have been relegated to the child line for the following reasons: Oracles are an adventure of an established Hero (presumably one a known one) of a relatively peaceful and prosperous Hyrule (so the Hero can afford to travel and Hyrule has international ties) who knows his Zelda and her Impa (Impa's representation is debateable, it may just be the traditional name or title of attendants to the princess dating from SS); two, Twinrova (who have only appeared in OoT and an alternate reality in the same timeframe) summon/resurrect Ganon against a (three) Hero who can manipulate time _but_ is younger than adult Link of OoT – I can't see there being many time-controlling Heroes. The other games it could theoretically (though none have as much in common) follow are TP, MC, ALttP and LoZ I+II. The Four Swords series Hyrule is too weak to be sending agents that far abroad. Twilight is possible, but the hero may actually finish his adventure a bit too old – the oracles Hero is very young. The last three might work with regards to the hero's age, but lose ground for Hyrule's stability.

At this point I would like to point out that Ganondorf's death is what is most confusing. He has died at least twice (TP, WW), possibly more (Post-Fail!Hero). But the series will sometimes offer a partial distinguishing feature: he takes the form of both the thief king or Prince of Darkness Ganondorf, a powerful semi-immortal, (he does age) and the Dark Lord Ganon, the revivable entity of pig-like countenance (who has died six times, I think...). For my purposes these are related but distinct entities to be further explained later on. The distinction came about from the presence of the boar-thing not equating the presence of the man, and from Ganondorf's regret (and sanity) in WW.

**Twilight Princess** is in the child line because if Ganondorf was sent into the Twilight Realm he was not sealed in the Sacred Realm by the Sages, Hero and Zelda as in the adult timeline. This is a different fate for the same lone individual. It is the time that elapses in between the games that is questionable: is the possibly possessed Ganondorf immortal, as if he is it may have been a very long time. If he is not it may be within a generation or two of OoT which seems implied (mockery over the Hero's green, the Hero's Shade, Skull Kid). The Hidden Village may have been founded by OoT!Impa (who was in a position to be influential regardless of timelines)if he was immortalish, or by a common ancestor of Impa and Impaz if he was not. The Hylian Guard is kind of useless in both, so it's not indicative but maybe a hint. There are also other structures: the Forest Temple-Deku Tree, Temple of Time-Forest Temple, Link's tree house, the South Field is about the same shape as OoT's Hyrule Field, and the frozen domain a reminder of what might have been.

**ADULT:**_ _1; SS; _2; MC; [FS; FSa;] OoT;_** ALttP;** **[****LoZ; ZII;]**

There is a very simple reason to the above choice – town names and back story. In **ALttP** – already a precursor to **LoZ I** and **II** – there are a number of towns named for the sages of the OoT adult timeline. And it must be the adult timeline as there would be no reason to awaken these sages in the child timeline. Presumably the previous sages are in place already. (I call them the useless tools from TP.) These towns, Saria, Nabouru, Darunia, Ruto and Rauru would have no reason to take those names otherwise, so the child timeline is not a possibility. As mentioned earlier, the Failed Hero's timeline is a possibility, but that requires another workable counter to Ganon when Zelda really _really _didn't seem up to the task – I mentioned the world ending? – and since this Legend had a successful end to OoT this is ergo, not the doomed reality. The Hero of Time probably got melded into the Knights in the narrative (for one does not invade a heavily armed and guarded fortress to face a dark lord single handed) so the mention was lost. As to Zelda the first (if it's a traditional name creating a naming law makes no significant difference) in LoZII, she could be any time prior to this but after OoT, really, since that was when the Triforce was recovered, or ALttP, when it was last intact.

As an aside, WW can still follow here if you take the increasingly watery maps to be significant.

**DOOMED:****(_3;) [WW; PH;] ST**

**_3 **may or may not exist – I described how "but the Hero did not appear" could be the Hero of Time failing above, but on the off chance there was another way that means a tale is missing with its Hero or one of the other known Heroes could have failed.

And of course by **WW** the gods have buried Hyrule under the waves and Ganondorf (without the mad Ganon) appears to cause problems. He is killed by the Hero of Winds who goes on to help the pirate/princess Zelda re-establish a Kingdom of Hyrule. **ST** takes place within a century.

**OTHER: LA**

**Link's Awakening** involves a Hero who faced Ganon (as Nightmare takes the pig-thing's form) and was consequently known to the people. Otherwise, take your pick. As a matter of preference, I like to imagine Link's Awakening revolving around the Hero of Time, or even Twilight Princess' Hero. It can also fit in the blank before the Wind Waker to splice the doomed Hyrule in anywhere but after SS and the WW trilogy. But whatever Hero he had left Hyrule for whatever reason after having already saved the country, following wanderlust or looking for peace or adventure or simply a place Ganon's followers would not appear to try and kill him, and shipwrecked alone in the middle of nowhere. The likelihood of being rescued is not particularly strong, though luck tends to run with Heroes it does run out eventually. The Awakening is easily Zelda's most tragic story.

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And so, finally, this is the timeline I will fall back on until the next timeline glitch:

**CHILD**:___1; SS; _2; MC; [FS; FSa;] [OoT; MM;] ([OoS; OoA;]) TP

**ADULT:**_ __1; SS; _2; MC; [FS; FSa;] OoT; ALttP; [LoZ; ZII]

**DOOMED:** (_3;) [WW; PH;] ST

__1. During the Wing Ceremony a Hero is mentioned in Zelda's explanation of her role as the goddess: the goddess gave the Hero a sail, and act which the ceremony is modeled on. As this was prior to Skylofts' creation, this cannot be the Skyward Hero._

__2. The Hero of Men from the War of the Bound Chest. (It would be interesting to see this story take form.)_

__3. "... But the Hero did not appear."_

_LA is removed since it is too ambiguous – in theory it could go anywhere._

_The Doomed timeline is moveable._

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Ugh.

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_**My Original Timeline**__: _ being a missing Hero, [] around a single Hero, () around something uncertain_

Child_: SS; (_; MC; [FS; FSa;]) [OoT; MM;] Oracles; TP; (_; MC; [FS; FSa])_

Adult: _SS; (_; MC; [FS; FSa;]) OoT; ALttP; [LoZ; ZII;] LA/ _; [WW; PH;] ST_

_**Official Timeline:**_

Child:_ SS; _; MC; FS; [OoT; MM;] TP; FSa_

Adult:_ SS; _; MC; FS; OoT; [WW; PH;] ST_

Failure:_ SS; _; MC; FS; OoT; [ALttP; Oracles; LA;] [LoZ; ZII]_


	2. II Mapping Canon Hyrule

**Edited 2-3-2013**

**And Atlas Shrugged:**

**Mapping Hyrule (Canonic Version)**

_Skyward Sword actually validated this section. Literally changed Jack Shit._

_I've actually enjoyed the mapping sections most – I rather like geography, and it is good practise for original fiction. But this is ultimately __**how**__ I made the maps match – it's a thought exercise but not light reading. Next section is a little more frivolous – naming and describing the land and regions of my headcanon._

___Map of Hyrule (dot = . ): serendipitous-way dot deviantart dot com/art/Map-of-Hyrule-almost-done-357951355_

Atlas, technically the Titan who holds up the sky, tends to be thought of as carrying the world on his shoulders. (We blame a certain sculpture for this.) But if Atlas the world-holder was to shrug, we would like as not find a few things getting rearranged.

And anyone who has tried to make a comprehensive map of Hyrule knows what that looks like. Towns seem to move around all the time, with few constants, besides a few place names which keep turning up. And Hyrule is a very old country – cities have no doubt risen and fallen countless times over the course of its existence. Some lay abandoned, leaving many ruins scattered about the country side, while others are rebuilt, in the same place and elsewhere, sometimes renamed.

And despite Hyrule having had compasses from very early on, their cartographers never seemed to use them. Only Zelda I and II give reference to another country (Calatia – and that's in the comic, not the game) on the map, so all seas and 'world's end' type points must be taken with salt. And they don't date their maps either. One may be able to deduce the Heroic era, but then need to work out where in time that era occurred – hence the need to work out a manageable timeline first.

As explained in Appendix I, my timeline is as follows (less non-Hyrule games):

**CHILD**:___1; SS; _2; MC; FSa; OoT; TP

**ADULT:**_ __1; SS; _2; MC; FSa; OoT; ALttP; [LoZ; ZII]

The lands not touched on here are: the alternate reality Terminia; the neighbouring Labrynna and Holodrum which may be added later; a dreamscape; the Great Sea (technically still Hyrule, but only really tells us there be mountains. Well duh.); another alternate reality/dream/sea; and a new but distinct nation of the same name. The Hylian maps not used are exempted for specific reasons. Spirit Track's isn't old Hyrule. Four Swords runs with the Adventure, only adding details to each other. The dreamscape of Link's Awakening tells us nothing of use, but from the storyline we know that Hyrule does have access to an ocean or sea.

All of this leaving these games and maps:

_The Minish Cap – __**Map **__(whose blockish appearance and lack of transitional areas suggest several smaller, local maps stuck together in relative position. Also vertical maps laid out horizontally. Helpful, but not to be taken literally.)_

_Four Swords Adventure – __**World Map **__(Relative direction? Check. Detail? Literal Value? F* no.)_

_Ocarina of Time –__**Atlas **__(Solid early atlas – general proportions are good, some inflation on important sites. Pretty standard for a medieval map.)_

_Twilight Princess – __**Map of Hyrule**__ ([GC version, as it is the 'original.' The Wii edition was flipped, but as you will see, measures up better to the others.] This should be relatively the most accurate in the Child Timeline as it occurs latest – skill in cartography should have improved upon itself by this point. Top down rather than Birdseye, so there's less skewing, and it's designed for practical use.)_

_A Link to the Past – __**the Hylian Overworld**__, (a smaller area than the Overworld)_

_Legend of Zelda I and II – __**the Overworld,**__ (A larger area than the Hylian Overworld. Probably the most accurate of the Adult Timeline, but the exaggerated icons for towns suggests a tourist map – appropriate as the Hero was not a native, but rather from Calatia [comic version: I haven't played it alas] – but not to be taken literally.)_

_Skyward Sword – __**The Stone Tablet **__(Made with divine guidance but probably not divine hands – an accurate but very general map.)_

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Generally, if one decides to map anything without hard coordinates, one starts with a solid anchor point – something that will never move to act as a fixed compass rose through the ages. Towns can be used, but only in short term and in reference to each other, but generally a fixed point will mean geographical features – such as mountains – or stars which were there long before you were and will remain long after your gone. We cannot see Hyrule's stars. Rivers are a no as their beds can shift, or they can overrun their banks, silt up and change direction. The forest to field ratio varies with climate. Ditto with deserts and badlands. Oases and springs are fixed so long as they don't dry up or get blocked, but will be better marked over time, so are serviceable. Towns and architecture are not reliable, although again a long occupation site can be used – but only as long as the original location is known. So where does this leave us?

Short term reference points do not work – we don't have an exact account of the years in Hyrule, beyond that most counts are very, _very_ long. They are only debatably usable for Legends which are relatively near together in time, such Minish Cap and Four Swords – Zelda I and II already use the same map. Hyrule Castle is tempting – in my early comparisons I used this since features surrounding it seem constant – but it leads to discrepancies, and given how many disasters hit Hyrule and the Castle in particular, it is bound to have been destroyed once or twenty times and moved on at least a few of those occasions. Would you want to live where the King of Evil had lived?

There are no oases which appear in more than one map. The only recurring source of water is Zora's Domain, and it does not always appear, and sometimes Lake Hylia – a basin – is identified as the country's source – which is like as not a misidentification. Bodies of water are to be set aside in any case.

There are four named mountains, which can be used, but only two are at all viable. Snow Peak only appears in the Map of Hyrule. Mount Crenel is only in the World Map. Spectacle Rock is in the Hylian Overworld, and the Overworld. It might appear unnamed in Four Swords and Ocarina. Death Mountain appears in every map but Minish Cap – where it can be inferred by the other Four Sword map which should be dated to not too much later, and by the presence of the Goron tribe. So:

_**Death Mountain – anchor point. Due North.**_

Death Mountain is part of a southerly bend in a roughly East-West running mountain range, and sits on the southern edge of that range above the Hylian plains. Death Mountain is a very active and conical volcano with a secondary cone and other lesser fissures which occasionally form smaller cones lower down its side. Volatile gases are an issue. It is home to a Goron Tribe.

Any map that does not portray these mountains on the northern edge of the Hylian plains must have its compass disregarded – it is inaccurate. As such we must rotate the **Overworld** by about 100 degrees clockwise (CW), and the **Map of Hyrule** by 90 counter clockwise (CC). The **Map** does not contain Death Mountain, but the presence of Gorons above the Veil Falls, which are located in high altitudes (sparse growth), implies it, and may actually be the mountain's base.

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Hyrule's of other recurring features can now be taken into account. All adjustments are approximate.

Also notice that the Overworld, the World Map, and the Atlas are all in a skewed perspective whereas the others are all top down. The **Overworld** leans back with caricatures of features rising from the map but is otherwise a Birdseye view. The **World Map** leans back as well, and is narrower in the back. The **Atlas** is odd – it recedes into the back left corner, as though pinched – Death Mountain and the Castle are most distant – and seems to have a bowl shape, causing distant points such as Gerudo Desert and others to appear closer and the field crowded out. The **Map**, as mentioned above, may actually be several maps in relative position.

Consider the above as changes are made.

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_**MAIN FEATURES**_

_I used these to align the maps._

_**Lake Hylia**_

As a major basin, Lake Hylia will not move very much – the edges will shift, rise and sink, but will not leave a certain general area. This is a large, deep lake, more closely resembling a fresh water sea than anything. It is in southern Hyrule. East or west varies by map, and will be worked out as the analysis continues.

The **World Map** portrays a northern, tiered Lake Hylia, but it is also alone in the maps as showing Hylia as a source – this is probably a misnomer, so no changes are necessary.

The **Overworld** does not appear to have a Lake Hylia. The entire map is oddly stylized: it shows the relative locations' of towns and landmarks using pictures rather than dots to mark them, as in maps with the statue of Liberty or the Leaning Tower of Pisa imaged in its general location –a tourist's map, which is appropriate since the Hero whose map we use was a visitor. The Island Palace may be in the lake, or the lake may be the sea in the south, the waters having risen, possibly heralding the Great Flood (since I copped out and didn't place it in the timeline). The people are at least partially aware of this – many newer sites are on mountains, hilltops and foothills, whereas older ones, like the towns named for ancient sages, are on the plains.

_**Lake Hylia (minor), Veil Falls, Zora's Domain, Zora Waterfall, Zora's Fountain**_

Farther north is a smaller, marshier lake which may be the Four Swords' Hylia. It is governed by a spring, or several springs, which are said to provide most of Hyrule's water. The spring[s] may periodically plugged and unplugged, causing the lake to vanish, shrink or move. The source is not consistently represented beyond that there _is_ a source. The various names may be attributed to a single place, or several in the same region. The water sources range from Death Mountain's foot to east of Death Mountain, and the eastern source seems to be on roughly the same latitude. The Domain is largely attributed to the eastern sites while the Falls are mountainous.

On the **Map of Hyrule** the Domain now appears in the west – flip the map to correct for this and then rotate at least 25 degrees CC. In the **Overworld** it is now in the west as well and needs to be flipped horizontally and rotated about 40 degrees CC. The **Atlas** needs to be shifted at least ten degrees CC . The remaining three maps show sources at the southern and eastern foot of the mountain rather than far to the east, and can so be assumed to be a different springs, and these are also the earliest maps. The eastern source may be a new spring, or one that became mapped as Hyrule expanded, as it exists only in the newest two maps, and the Atlas – where we note the Kakariko Well, which may have drawn from the old source.

Short version: Veil falls are an early, western source (a Lake Hylia minor – a name later attributed to certain wide points on the river) under Death Mountain which dries up over time. Zora's Fountain is the new primary source, guarded by Zora's Domain, and flows out of the Domain through the waterfall and into the river. Smaller sources are present throughout the area.

_**Zora's River, 'Lake Hylia,' other water ways**_

As stated before – these will shift as time passes. The only certainty is that they eventually feed south into Lake Hylia or possibly oceans in a larger Hyrule. Hyrule Castle and the primary market are always located on a major river, and it usually passes not too far from Kakariko. The 'Lake' of the **World Map** may also refer to an especially broad point along the river, as some rivers have been known to be miles wide. [My main local river, the Ottawa river, is about 50m to 2Km wide at some points within the city, and it used to be more than three times that, while the Carp, Rideau and Jock are all much thinner. 5-30m] There are also at least two major rivers – the one flowing from the domain, and the one flowing from near Death Mountain.

Southbound is key. No changes applicable.

_**The Southern Desert**_

A vast, harsh desert in Hyrule's south western reaches. The winds are often deadly, and some consider them cursed. Home to the Gerudo and the Zuna.

At this point we take a step back and look. We have five maps with deserts appearing on them (the exception being the **Map**, which is earliest (possibly pre-unification and pre-contact and trade with outside countries – like the Gorons or Labrynna – and thus small) and they all have this in common: they are in the west, below Death mountain, and with the exception of the **Map of Hyrule**, roughly the same latitude as or slightly North of the lake. The Twilight era desert also seems sparsely populated, which may translate to a poorly mapped area – it may actually be more northerly, or at least farther west, as it appears to be to near to fertile Ordon though rain shadow may account for this. The general inaccessibility of the area does not help. The **Atlas** desert is most northern, but that appears to be due to the skewing. If the field were decompressed and the area laid on a grid the desert would appear more southwesterly, still north in the southern quadrant, but still in the southwestern quadrant.

There is also the possibility that we do not see the full extent of the desert in any given map, similar to how a map of Niger or Libya cannot show the whole Sahara. It may be a single local climate – a micro climate in a valley, or Gerudo Valley may be one mountainous desert area, with the Gerudo Desert as the main desert plain. The Haunted Wastelands are another, possibly related to the Desert of Doubt (early name, before renamed for the Gerudo tribe who while it was called this lived in a desert oasis) which seems to be one with the Desert of Mystery (later adult timeline) as beyond them all in the less hostile regions near the desert steps one can find a temple with a carved stone face – the Desert Temple or Colossus. The late adult timeline desert has been reduced to two smaller deserts – Parapa (badlands, with scrub) and Tantari (a rocky or mountainous area).

But details aside, the desert is more or less where it ought to be – no further changes necessary.

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Those are what reliable features appear throughout Hyrule in their general placements – precision will come later, and much will remain to individual interpretation. After all, how large is Hyrule, really? Is it a dense concentration of mountains and valleys as it sometimes seems to be, or is it enormous with great plains such as in central Canada and the American Midwest? These are for individual interpretation. For now we have general positioning:

Death Mountain is on the North-West-North on the greater plains of Hyrule.

Lake Hylia is due south of the mountain (extending well east and west) in southern Hyrule.

The water sources are in the north, east of Death Mountain, some a little south of it.

There are two large rivers beginning in the foothills of the northern mountains and running south to the lake, drifting in between.

The desert occupies the south-western corner of the land.

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Following are other locations, reiterations, and slightly more specific details. All are canonical or according to the above changes, with some minor tweaks (such as the Greater Gerudo Desert versus the Gerudo Desert) . All are in alphabetical order, for the sake of sanity. Most sites in the Overworld are overlooked, as I've little interest in that timeline.

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_**Castle, Hyrule **_

This is not in fact a major feature of the landscape despite being a major part of the country – the Castle is too mobile. It has been just south of Death Mountain, just south of Spectacle Rock, in the fields farther below, central in the fields, and who knows where else we've not yet seen. As it stands, it is not even identified in A Link to the Past, although some castles have more prominence, like North Castle which due to map changes is now either South Castle, or north of something flooded.

The only thing all identifiable 'Hyrule Castles' have in common is that they are always located on one of the major rivers. Earlier castles tend to be closer to the northern range – a protective position indicating turmoil in the country. Later castles tend to move farther into the fields, while still sitting on the rivers as a simpler protection.

Still, there are lots of castles to mark out.

The MC castle is southwest of Spectacle and Death Mountain on the river Hylia. The FSa castle is east of that south of Death Mountain on Hylia. The OoT has moved back west, but south of the original castle in the low foothills on the river Zora. The Twilight castle is deep in the fields, back on the river Hylia. ALttP has the castle south of Spectacle on Zora in the field. The LoZ I and II have no clear Hyrule Castle. Others have no doubt existed as well.

_**Castle Town**_

The settlements surrounding the various Hyrule Castles throughout history. Some have encircled the castles, while others are separate but connected settlements. It is always fortified.

_**Castor Wilds**_

A treacherous swamp located west of the Great Plains and south of Mount Crenel. Characterised by high winds and the surrounding cliffs – they share a mountain range with Gerudo Valley, as well as the winds. It is considered part of the Desert Province. The ruins of a Wind Temple are found here.

In later times (adult timeline) the desert shrinks and the swamp spreads around the mountains. The area is renamed the Midoro and Mourge swamps.

_**Death Mountain**_

A highly active conical volcano on a southern bend in the northern mountain range, and in Goron territory. There is one primary caldera, a defunct secondary cone and various tertiary fissures. There are many gas vents and springs along the mountainside. Spectacle Rock is directly next to it. Death Mountain, like Spectacle, seems to have two peaks – the one containing the Goron City, and the one containing the Fire Temple and active crater.

On the early **World Map** there is a second peak on Death Mountain, one of which has a Tower dedicated to Flame. The active peak is the lower one, opposite of the **Atlas**. This suggests that the lower fissure and magma chamber are now dead or dormant, while activity has since moved to the higher peak, which contains the Fire Temple – rebuilt within the caldera after the cap the Tower was built on blew.

_**Desert of Doubt**_

A region of the Great Desert not far from Gerudo Valley characterized by a proliferation of ruins. It also contains the Haunted Wastes, which are easy to wander into as illusions in the ruins hide the Wastes from view. The Zuna live in oases beyond this region.

_**Desert Sanctuary**_

An area deep in the south-western desert which contains many temples. The sanctuary is relatively free from storms and other hazards. The Pyramids are in the Northern Sanctuary on the edge of the Desert of Doubt. The Desert Colossus, or Desert Temple, is on the very edge of the desert. The Arbiter's Grounds alone stand in the far east of the Great Desert.

_**Eastern Desert**_

Dry grassland in eastern Hyrule, this desert sits farther north than the western Great Desert, and borders on the sea. South of the province Snow Peak is in, and contains the Eastern Temple.

_**Faron Woods**_

In western Hyrule, these are largely benevolent forests in the foothills of the western mountains. They do however have dangerous aspects – some portions have been known to become covered in poisonous fogs or house dangerous beings. There are a number of curious ruins within these woods. It is part of the Lost Woods, and the southern reaches enclose the north of the Castor Wilds.

_**Gerudo Desert **_

A largest area of the Great Desert in south-western Hyrule, featuring harsh winds and mercurial temperatures – scorching by day and freezing by night. Pocked with rare oases, next to nothing lives here but locust, cacti, and a few carnivorous creatures. The Arbiters' Grounds sit on one of the rare oases in a rocky portion of the eastern desert.

_**Gerudo Fortress**_

A permanent Gerudo settlement on the north-eastern fringes of the greater Gerudo Desert, at the southern end of Gerudo Valley. The Gerudo rule from here and guard the entrance into the treacherous wastes. Not a tourist destination, as they are very untrusting to outsiders who consider them to be thieves and whores. The Fortress is heavily fortified, and may be built near or on Wind Tribe ruins.

_**Gerudo Valley**_

As mentioned, a very rocky desert area with little plant life, it exists in a southerly mountain range in the south-western quadrant of Hyrule. The river Hylia passes through here on its way to Lake Hylia.

_**Gerudo Village**_

Located in the Desert of Mystery on the World Map, this is an early Gerudo settlement – it is at least partially temporary, as while the gates into the desert proper are permanent, the women live in tents. It is likely a precursor to the Fortress, as evidenced by the gates.

_**Goron City**_

Home and capital of the Gorons, this city is built inside Death mountain, about half way up in what is either an old mine or empty magma chamber. If it is a magma chamber, this is a defunct secondary fissure in the volcano.

_**Goron Mines (Dodongo Cavern)**_

The Goron mines in Death Mountain, the entrance is below midway up the mountain. They are the source of food for the Gorons, as well as ore for trade.

_**Greater Gerudo Desert (Desert Province)**_

The Castor Wilds, Gerudo Valley, Gerudo Desert, the Desert Oasis, the Haunted Wastelands, and the Desert of Mystery are all distinct regions of the Greater Desert. The Deserts are in the rain shadow of the western mountains.

_**Haunted Grove**_

A forest in the western plains, east and just north of the Castor Wilds, the Western Wood is haunted by benevolent spirits – the area is reminiscent of the Sacred Forest Meadow, as it acts as a sanctuary for forest animals and lost souls. It may truly be separate, but it is also possibly another extension. It may also refer to Faron.

_**Haunted Wasteland**_

An especially harsh region of the Desert of Doubt. It is dominated by a never ending sandstorm, deep pits, and illusions. It is also very much haunted, as the name suggests, all of which leads to its status as cursed.

_**Hidden Village**_

A site supposedly founded by the Sheikah Impa – the Hidden Village, another northerly site. It is in the badlands east-south-east of Death Mountain across the fields of Eldin. At first glance it seems to be in similar position to the Atlas's Kakariko – until the skewing is removed and that Kakariko proves to be southerly rather than south-east, and we note that the Hidden Village is not in the northern range. It is located in hilly or mountainous and dry countryside – possibly part of a different, older (visually rounder) range.

As for being founded by Impa, if she was so successful in founding that first village, it is not unreasonable that she would be in charge of organizing more as the country was very prosperous during her lifetime. That she would make one of these villages for her tribe is not a difficult leap.

_**Hyrule Field**_

The vast fields in which most of Hyrule's people and primary settlements are found.

_**Kakariko **_

A village in Hyrule in the foothills of the northern range near Death Mountain. Kakariko Village, founded during the Hero of Time's era, was founded by the Sheikah Impa during the Hero of Time's era. It is south of the mountain in the straightened Atlas.

There is however a earlier Kakariko, just southwest of the mountain, whose presence in the **World Map** indicates either: an earlier version of the Village which was later rebuilt by Impa; that this is the same village as in Ocarina, and the associated Hero is later on the timeline than placed, occurring after Ocarina; or that Four Swords is an IMMEDIATE prelude to Ocarina, as Kakariko has recently been founded. As the World Map's Kakariko does not lead to Death Mountain, and seems to be on leveller ground, I would suggest this is in fact a different incarnation.

The **Twilight** Kakariko is drier than Ocarina, but both towns are in a valley, have a graveyard in a connected valley, and lead up to Death Mountain. These are likely the same site, the only difference being that the well has since dried up completely. It has not moved since there has been no destruction period in the child timeline as in the adult, but we can now place the valley to the west of the mountain-lake north-south divide.

The **Hylian Overworld** shows a Kakariko that is well west of Death Mountain, closer to the Hyrule Castle of the time, and roughly south-west of Spectacle Rock. It is on level ground and in the shadow of the Lost Woods. As a post-Hero of Time era map in the adult timeline it seems reasonable to suggest that the earlier town was destroyed as the new town is well established and quite prosperous.

_**Kasuto and Old Kasuto**_

My first reaction these two was to claim them as renamed Kakariko and Hidden Villages, but this would be incorrect. The Hidden Village, for one, is part of the Child timeline landscape, and Impa would not have been around after being made a sage in the adult timeline to create another then. The association with Kakariko might be feasible, though only conjecture, if the Overland map had not been retooled – as it stands, Kasuto is far too far south to be even a moved town. In all likelihood this is an independent settlement which later moved due to invasion.

Old Kasuto, being a refuge, is located on a small, forested mountain peninsula where it is well protected.

_**Kokiri Forest**_

The home of the Kokiri children for whom it is named, this is a remote portion of the Lost Woods, which falls directly under the protection of the Forest Lord, Deku. This is a largely benign section of the Woods, although non-Kokiri may find it difficult to navigate, or even hostile.

_**Lake Hylia**_

A large, freshwater sea-like lake in the far south of Hyrule, Hylia has long since been considered either Zora territory or sacred or both, and so no major settlements have ever filled its banks. Erosion has caused its shores to become very steep, as seen beginning in Ocarina and exacerbated in Twilight. Late Adult timeline Hyrule has seen the lake flooded past its boundaries and joined with the sea.

_**Lake Hylia (minor)**_

A name attributed to various areas along the rivers Zora and Hylia, lake Hylia minor has been the source of the veil falls, the basin the Zora Waterfalls pours into, and various wide points along both rivers, although it has never been an official name. Some Twilight era accounts seem to identify a fishery high on the Zora River as the minor lake.

_**Lon Lon Ranch**_

A small ranch first seen in the World Map, it has grown to become a major supplier by the Atlas' time, serving even the royals its dairy (and cucco) products, and breeding fine horses. That it can supply Hyrule Castle also shows that it is not too terribly distant from there.

_**Lost Woods (Woodland Realm)**_

A magical forest governed by mostly benevolent, ancient tree spirits known as Deku.

The Lost Woods are magical forests known for turning visitors around – so much so that many never leave, becoming stalfoes, stalchildren, and skullkids. Its location is varied throughout Hyrule's history, so this cannot be an identifying geological feature.

Furthermore, there is a quote in Ocarina of Time to the affect of 'the forest touches every corner of Hyrule.' (I will need to replay to find it, but I seem to recall it was Saria who said it – and being the Forest Sage she would know.) And this indeed seems to be the case in that game – the forest surrounds the castle grounds, the fields, Kakariko, the domain, the foothills – even the desert. There are also paths in the woods that can lead to unlikely places – directly into Death Mountain or Zora's Domain's doorstep. In different regions it may have different names, but it is ultimately the same forest, a single unified Woodland Realm.

_**Market Town**_

Another small town or city associated with Hyrule Castle on the **Map**, but more distantly. It is more or less a daytrip from the Castle, and may represent an early Castle Town, as the roads are unpaved and there is still much green space. Alternately, it could also represent a wealthier suburb, as all residents seem quite affluent.

_**Maze Island**_

A large, mountainous island of late Hyrule (Adult), I see Maze Island as a rocky plateau before flooding began. As earlier maps do not extend here, we cannot know. There is a palace deep within the island. The climate is very dry.

_**Midoro and Mourge swamps**_

The Overworld (late Hyrule – adult timeline) incarnation of the Castor Wilds. The swamp spread as water levels rose, taking over Gerudo Valley and part of what in the alternate timeline became Faron.

_**Minish Woods**_

A forest in the south east of the central plains, near lake country, but are likely still part of the greater woods – the mists and turns have strongly 'Lost Woods' qualities.

_**Mount Crenel**_

A small seismically active mountain in the Hylian Plains – an area typically called a 'hotspot.' It is in the western plains. Curiously, it has two peaks as does Spectacle Rock, but does not have the same sharply inclined slopes, though it is very craggy, and has one large cliff – the Crenel Wall. It was once a home of the Gorons before a population drop, but the mine is Hylian and was probably abandoned when the magma chambers were found. Had the Gorons been miners, this would not have kept them from mining.

_**Ordon Woods**_

A mostly mundane forest, connected to the Woodland Realm. It is noted for its fairy and spirit springs.

_**Parapa Desert**_

Formerly part of the Gerudo Desert, the Parapa Desert is now a peninsula on the rising sea. It is bare sand and wind.

_**Royal Valley (Old King's Tomb)**_

This valley, in the northwest holds the graves of ancient Hylian royalty spanning centuries. The early gravesite was small and located north of the Capitol of the time, southwest of Spectacle Rock and Death Mountain. The grounds became corrupted at one point, and the Royal tombs moved briefly until they could be cleansed and a sanctuary could be built to maintain them (adult timeline). In the child timeline a temporary graveyard was built within the grounds of a new castle, but were later blocked off and forgotten. Kakariko was the interim site.

_**Sacred Grove**_

An area deep within the Lost Woods, separated from Faron by a series of canyons, where the Forest Temple is located. It is largely favoured by gods and spirits and so has become hallowed.

_**Snow Peak**_

A mountain first identified in the Map of Hyrule. It is located in a cold, storm-prone province, home to few people, and the Yeti.

The original orientation showed it to be in the northwest, but changes have placed it in the southeast. However, due to the bitterly cold nature of the province it is in (named for the mountain) it seems unlikely that the mountain would be so near to one of the most unforgiving hot deserts of the land of Hyrule. As such, I feel that the province, which begins bordering on Zora's Domain in the northeast should be flipped to sit in the northeast rather than the southeast – a configuration closer to the original map rather than the flipped one.

_**Snow Peak (Province)**_

Northern province comprising of tundra and a mountain range. It is permanently frozen. Borders Zora's Domain in the north and east. Prone to frequent storms. Home of the Yeti and the tundra wolf. Zora's fountain feeds into this province from the south.

_**Spectacle Rock**_

Spectacle Rock is wide, sheer mountain with two peaks and home to the Tower of Hera. It is north-west of Death Mountain, both are of similar height and close enough to each other that at one point there was a bridge between the two.

The **Hylian Overworld** shows the two mountains – Death and Spectacle – are near enough to bridge together, with them located directly east and west of each other. There is a much smaller 'Spectacle Rock' in the **Overworld**, but it is located in the plains above of the northern mountains, some distance north of Death Mountain – this may be a misnomer, or a mountain named by the northern plainsmen. There are no other twin peaks on that map, but it is also possible that one of the two peaks was lost to an eruption, as it is a very active mountain chain.

The **Atlas** also shows a small, or simply distant, twin peak behind Death Mountain – this could be Spectacle Rock.

_**Tantari Desert**_

A small but calm rocky desert, Tantari was once part of Gerudo Valley, most of which has been buried.

_**Tower of Hera**_

A temple located on Spectacle Rock and a sibling to the Tower of Flame on Death Mountain.

_**Veil Falls**_

An early water source located at the foot of Death Mountain. Its spring source is mostly dry by the Hero of Time's age – the source must be accessed via wells as in Kakariko, and early in the Adult timeline is inaccessible, although the Hero executes a temporary fix. By the Twilight and A Link to the Past eras there is no hint of it.

Not to be mistaken with the Zora Waterfalls, which despite the ALttP representation, is actually far to the east of Death Mountain.

_**Western Wood**_

A mostly mundane forest in the far west – possibly an early name for the southern Faron woods, which wrap around the castor wilds.

_**Zora's Domain**_

Center of Zora territories and seat of their royal house, the Domain guards the primary water source of Hyrule, the Fountain. The water from the Fountain emerges in the throne room.

_**Zora's Fountain**_

A small, deep, hidden lake, this is Hyrule's primary water source. The fountain is the home of the water deity Jabu Jabu, and is also the location of the Ice Cavern and a Great Fairy's spring.

_**Zora's River**_

One of Hyrule's two primary rivers, this river begins at the domain and flows through Hyrule to Lake Hylia.

_**Zora's Lake**_

The usual name for the body of water Zora's Waterfall pours into, not far from the Domain. The Waterfall of Wishing is its outflow.

_**Zora's Waterfall**_

The water from the Fountain passes through the domain, leaving in this waterfall. The water moves from here to the Lake and then the River.

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Next Appendix: Atlas Shrugged II.V (Non Canonic)


	3. IIi NonCanon Hyrule

**And Atlas Shrugged:**

**Mapping Hyrule ([Non-] Canon)**

_Enter Labrynna and Holodrum, both of which I'm taking at roughly face value as there's nothing to compare them with. I'm not touching towns. Emphasis on Twilight Princess and that era – it's the one I'm most interested in. There are exactly two references to CD-I. I now wash my hands of it._

_We're also working on a hot southwest, cold northeast assumption, although magical countries don't have to obey latitudinal lines._

___Map of Hyrule (dot = . ): serendipitous-way dot deviantart dot com/art/Map-of-Hyrule-almost-done-357951355_

Oddly enough, the last appendix was relatively easy.

It certainly did not feel it at the time, but it is all least possible to give general locations to all those names. The same cannot be said of the smaller settlements listed on some maps, or others which only appear in certain times – such as most of the Overworld locations, which due to drastic changes to the landscape cannot be placed well if they can even be placed to begin with. Early towns do not appear on the maps at all, other than Kakariko, Market, and the blue maiden's village, which is unnamed. Anything named is late. And what of places and features that have no names, or are only identified through inference? What are the regional boundaries? As much as I like Twilight Princess a field does not a province make: where are the people? And how big is Hyrule anyway? These are all non-canon details, as the games are vague at best.

So why not just make it up?

Technically I am, but the real answer is because I am foremost interested in keeping the geography as probable as possible based on what I know and canon-based as I can: just tossing everything together just doesn't work. The details need to hold up to scrutiny and that is where it gets tricky. Especially since there does have to be some fudging...

However, it is also worth noting that names of areas and major features do not tend to change, unless for political reasons. As Hyrule has not had many invasions from other nations and has remained more or less intact over the ages – generally expanding – most names should be largely the same through time. Doubly so since many features have religious implications and the faith is mostly constant.

The Dark Lords for their part would not care about names, being more interested in destruction or capturing the holy land, and so would not have the political impetus for name changes, except maybe for Hyrule Castle, which changes back when the crisis ends. The Gerudo Desert and similar of the Adult Timeline also change do to the association with Ganondorf, but not in the Child as without his coup d'état there would be no additional cause for prejudice.

So without further ado...

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_**Scale**_

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I will not give an _exact_ scale – it's a hopeless cause since all we have to go by is travel time (which is weird) and, in a handful of games, landscape changes. However, I will give an approximate minimum – in the scale range of continents, and there are two reasons why.

One is that the landscapes generally transition slowly – there will be signs of marshlands appearing in the area long before a traveller ever sees them, unless the marshes are in hill country, and the ground begins climbing before the mountain range or even the foothills come into view. Given how quickly land transitions in game we can assume that there are unrepresented lands – and if those are missing, what else is? After all, we only ever see places relevant to the quest.

The other is related, but somewhat separate. Hyrule, in game, can usually be crossed in a day or less. Given that if one is within a day's travel of a mountain of Death Mountains' size you should be IN the mountains. However since the northern ranges cannot be seen from Lake Hylia at the other end of the country and vice versa, or either from the lands midway between, it seems more than likely that Hyrule is rather larger. On horseback I would expect it to take three weeks to cross at the_ very _least_,_ likely more, as large mountains can be visible from several days away.

My personal example is this: when I visited Vancouver years ago, while in White Rock (near the border) it is possible to see Mount Baker, about 100Km (60mi) away, very clearly. A hundred Km is three to four days marching, (likely four here, and in the north ranges due to the mountainous terrain,) or one or two on horseback.

[As an aside – I'm using the old Persian _mansion_ (Greek _stathmos_) which is a day's march by road. 14-20mi or 24-30Km.]

Another day or three is needed to get out of sight, and another to lose sight of the foothills.

So figure a week, week and a half from a large mountain in a range to be fully clear of any hills – then cross the fields and smaller mountains which characterise the country ( at least another week) and then move into lake country for a couple days to the coast. And remember that Hyrule has other mountains to factor in going east-west and north-south.

So at the smallest I round it to about four weeks marching (more for non-military travellers) and half that on horseback north-south. Going East-West, crossing and losing sight of several mountain ranges and a couple plains should take longer, emphasized by the climate change from Desert to Snowpeak Province: a month to seven weeks at least – not including travelling to the extreme ends of those provinces themselves.*

So not including extremes, about 500Km north to south and1000Km east to west, and that's really low-balling it. F*ing huge.

_*This is, incidentally, one of the reasons I think the TP Hero is awesome. The only place he _doesn't_ go is the coast – and unless shadow portals are _much_ more versatile than they seem to me he must have been run ragged, over the course of a couple _years_, between the quests, the Resistance group and everything else he does. The Hero of Time by contrast just does a loop of the country (still admittedly the better part of a year, plus time for recouping and minus warp magic cheating – and he never does have to go far from the warp points.) hitting a couple highlights, deals with his dark lord and Done! Not quite the same level of toil. And in the end he can't actually finish off the tyrant king. Just beats him back long enough for the sages to do their seal.^ TP just seems more deserving. He actually had to bust ass._

_^Not to rag on him or anything. But figure he's ten going on seventeen – probably not the most organized of minds. (read: confused as fuck) He's given a goal and clings to it because what else can he do? Mentally and experience-wise he's just a kid. By the time MM rolls around he's started to finally really figure things out and begins to become certifiably awesome. He just isn't in OoT, no matter how great the game is._

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_**Unnamed Locations, because writing 'the northern range' got old fast**_

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_*** THE SEA (Zora Sea)**_

No name in Hyrule's maps, but it must be there for Link to sail away on! Only the Legend of Zelda (I and II) and Four Swords Adventure show coasts. The Overworld only reinforces that it is probably in the south, as water levels rising is most noticeable on the low coastal grounds, while the World Map shows a south-eastern coast – I see no reason to challenge this. The watery looking areas around Hyrule in that map aren't necessarily water – just a lack of knowledge of those areas. (Re: early map, introvert Hyrule) Gerudo Desert likely meets the sea at points in the south. The sea is notoriously treacherous, which explains its lack of importance in major tales – it is too inconsistent for use in transportation or supplying.

The sea is also an aspect of a distant kingdom, Labrynna, whose sea (Zora) is also on its southern border. Most places in Hyrule are 'distant' and 'far away.' (RE: Scale.) Death Mountain is distant to Hyrule Castle, and similar, although they are sometimes relatively near – nowhere near the distance to the Lake, all the way across vast plains – and Labrynna probably isn't any different. It is likely a direct and friendly neighbour, since Hylians seem to be quite welcome. The name of the sea itself, Zora, also reflects the naming practises of many Hylian waterways, (i.e. pick the most obvious feature/race nearby and voila: named. In fairness, the real world does this too. _Dead_ Sea. _Black _Forest) reinforcing this choice. Labrynna being east or west is irrelevant at this point.

Holodrum, presumably nearby, also has a fairly large coastal area, allegedly in the south as well. It is unnamed, but Holodrum strongly resembles the now northern (formerly southern) Overworld. LOZ I and II are much later than the Oracles legends, and in different timelines. But Holodrum seems to be a weak country – apparently in decline if the ruins and the moblin held lands are anything to go by, and this probably holds true in both timelines. By the time of LOZ it has been conquered (in name if not in fact) and is the region north of the northern range, meaning there is in fact a north sea too.

**Sea of Storms**

A section of the Zora Sea, east of Labrynna.

**Sea of No Return**

An inland sea in ancient Labrynna. The land rose and the sea drained over the course of a few hundred years – a documented, if spottily recorded, process. The drained area later became a graveyard – supposedly because it was already haunted, and as such good for little else. This is part of the cursed belt, which includes the Haunted Wasteland and the Belt Archipelago. (See below.) The combination of this sea and the Zora Sea in the south and east may have given the World Map interpretation, if it was that early a map.

**North Sea**

The unmodified LoZ Overworld had a northern sea, but post modification the waters are south and east. Does this mean there is no northern sea? No – the Overworld map just cuts off before the sea which takes the former country of Holodrum's northern border.

_*** MOUNTAIN RANGES**_

None of the ranges in Hyrule, and there are at least four, have actual names – some have been attributed, but nothing is truly canon. The only named ranges in the entire series so far as I know are the Tal Tal Heights of Link's Awakening, (which doesn't count) and the mountains of Labrynna (Talus, Nuun, and the Rolling Ridges). Holodrum's ranges go unnamed, despite that that country's entire south is mountainous as well, and has several named peaks: North Peak, Mount Cucco, and Goron Mountain.

**Mount Crenel**

Sometimes referred to as a range (cough/wiki/cough)* Crenel is a single mountain on a hotspot in the western fields, in Eldin. There are other mountains across the fields where the spot has previously been. Mount Crenel in particular is sheer and sharp. It is very harsh.

*It says MOUNT Crenel in game, not the Crenel Mountains.

**The northern ranges (The Veil Mountains, Goron Hills)**

This has been called the Death Mountains by some in the community, but canon never says this – so far as I am aware there is only Death Mountain in the mountains to the north. I favour the name Veil, as it is a name long associated with the region due to the ancient waterfalls, and the mountains 'veil' Hyrule from all that is beyond them.

As stated, these mountains run the northern border of Hyrule for all of history, either as the border or the edges of a northern state. They begin in the northwest, rise sharply, bow south at the central area where Death Mountain and Spectacle Rock as well as Goron Mountain are found, and end when they meet the mountains of Snowpeak. This is a young, tall, and highly active volcanic range.

The Goron Hills are the specific range within the Veil Mountains where Death Mountain is found. The Gorons favour this area of the mountains for their richness in ores, hence the name. North Peak, Mount Cucco and Goron Mountain are all found here.

**The Snowpeak Province ranges (The Spine)**

These are often named after the titular mountain, but it is actually the province and mountain (singular, yo) that are named in the game – not the mountains themselves. These mountains are tall, sharp and bitterly cold and stormy, and have no western foothills, rising out of the steppe in sharp cliffs. (The steppe – warm to cold grasslands – has been added to separate the humid subtropical Domain from the bitter mountains.) They are also the most northerly reaching of Hyrule. The area where they meet the Veil contains the tallest mountains in Hyrule, rivalled only by the south-western ranges. As the range moves south it curls out to sea and then west, into the Zora Sea south of Hyrule, forming islands.

As these mountains' character is strongly reminiscent of the Himalayas, the plate boundaries are probably similar here – there is a smaller tectonic plate east of the mountains that is being absorbed by the Hylian continental plate, just as the India plate is being absorbed by Asia.

Labrynna is not likely connected to Hyrule here, as its mountains are too warm to be associated with Snow Peak – a perpetually stormy, frigid area – and too low, as Snow Peak's mountains are all capped in glacial snow and ice.

A harsh area deserves a harsh name, and there is nothing canon to go by – the Spine is one I've tossed around for some time and is being used for no other reason. Let's just say it resembles the spines on the back of some great beast – it may even be an origin myth to the area.

**Talus**

A Labrynnan range in the north west of that country. These mountains are very young – rough and too high for hills too low for a mature range. They are also rather dry, though like Veil they have water sources in the more active regions.

**The south-western ranges (Rolling Ridges and Ghost Mountains)**

These ranges cross up from the sea, on either side of the Great Deserts, rising tall around them, and meet on north-western edge of the desert. Here it widens to encompass a valley containing part of the Castor Wilds, and rejoin as lower mountains – the 'foothills' of Ordon, and curve west before ending in the north. The northern mountains are low and grassy, while the southern parts of the ranges are tall, dry, and rocky. The rocks range from rusty blood reds to yellows, greys and whites. These are Hyrule's second oldest mountains – the fault is no longer very active, and the mountains, while high, are beginning to round out.

Remembering that there is a very nearby nation with mountain ranges in the north, I put forth that the Rolling Ridges of Labrynna are the very same mountains as are in northern tip of these ranges. The mountains of Ordon are certainly rolling, and gorges and ridges are present as well, so it is not inaccurate. The southern mountains border the Sea of No Return. (Later the haunted Graveyard and Desert.)

As the name does not however fit the southern mountains, a separate one is used. Due to the deserts cursed winds, the mountains alternately pale and bloody color, old ruins in the area, and rumours of a city vanishing in the clouds (read below), the Ghost Mountains are the name of the south. On the map the Ghost forms an inverted "U".

The Ghost and the Spine both extend into the sea and meet, forming an island belt.

**The old range (Eastern Hills)**

This is the small, very ancient worn mountain range first noted in the Twilight era. It is dry and low, interspersed with canyons – caused by long dried or moved rivers. It is where Zora's Domain is located and runs northwest to southeast. The river Zora likely took different paths through here as there are many canyons that look water worn. The climate and southern tip suggests an extension of the Eastern Desert, so the Eastern Hills seems a sufficient name.

_*** RIVERS AND SPRINGS**_

Technically, the only river is Zora, but its flow is improbable. There are two distinct areas with large water sources, and each should have their own river, even if they join later on – I have already identified the second river from the west source as the river Hylia – but at least another two large rivers exist, as well as numerous smaller ones.

The major rivers I have identified are these, draw largely from Twilight and Ocarina. All Castles but LoZ I and II are placed:

**River Zora (major)**

Flowing more or less directly west then south to Lake Hylia, this is the larger flow from the Domain, and Hyrule's second longest river. The major curls through the Eastern Hills and emerges to cross the Eldin Plains and meet the Ice Water in the south western edge of that plain. It continues, banking to run SSE to Lake Hylia. Midway between the direction change and the Lake it meets the minor river.

The Four Swords Castle is built directly south of Death Mountain on a moat dug off of the river.

The Ocarina era Castle Town is built on the bend, while the Castle itself sits on a minor tributary.

**River Zora (minor)**

A more southerly branch from the Zora's Domain, this is also a much smaller river. It gains strength from small feeder streams in the eastern fields, but it does not truly begin to compare to Zora major until it nears the ford where they rejoin in the south central fields. This river flows southwest with little variance.

The Twilight era Castle (and connected town) is built near the ford on the widest point of Zora minor.

**River Hylia**

Fed by the Death Mountain springs via the Veil Falls, Veil melt waters, and various smaller springs along the Veil, the river Hylia traces the Veil foothills, curving away as it reaches Death Mountain. It expands when the Kakariko River flows into it out of the Gorge in Eldin, in a smaller field in the west of the province. After this it flows south until it meets Lake Hylia. At some points in history the river has joined to the river Zora before meeting the Lake. Hylia is Hyrule's third longest river.

The Minish Cap Castle is on river Hylia where it met the Veil River.

In A Link to the Past the castle has also moved back to river Hylia in its westernmost bend which shifted far west after the Veil River began to flow again – it moves through the Faron Grasslands. In Twilight this is a minor stream – possibly the beginning of the move.

**River Ordon**

There is a cleanly cut canyon in Ordon Province near Faron where the mountains taper into the forest which suggests a fast running river below. It may be the same river that runs through the forest dungeon of Twilight (it is an empty tree – not a temple, but possibly an ancient dead Deku Tree, making it sacred regardless) as it is at similar elevations. The river is in the boss chamber in the game – waterfalls and outflow are all present, so this could be just a point on the river or even the headwaters.

The River Ordon flows past the western edge of the veil through Acerose to the North Sea.

The Ordon and Faron Springs, the Castor Wilds, and the Ghost melt waters are the other primary sources it draws on. The river marks the border of Ordon and Faron, and is both the only river in Hyrule to flow north and Hyrule's longest river.

**Chalk River**

Formerly identified as an extension of the Zora River in Ocarina, it is highly unlikely that the river climbed out of the plains up into the mountains to form one of Hyrule's largest waterfalls, and Hylia could not do it either – a new source is needed, up in the mountains. This river is partly rain and melt water from the more western and northern parts of the Ghost, which are wetter. There may be a series of smaller springs, but no large wellsprings as in other areas. The river dumps into Lake Hylia's western reach.

It is named for its color as it carries pale dust from the mountains in its waters.

**Kakariko Springs: Subrosian River and Kakariko River**

There are three bodies of water around Kakariko – the old well is not completely dry: the Spirit Spring, the hot spring, and in the Zora graveyard. The springs are both sources, but don't seem to go anywhere, though they must as they've yet to flood anything. The graveyard pool has no sources visible but has two waterfalls, and a very clear outflow, an underground river – the Subrosian River which only reappears at Lake Hylia. The source is not the two visible springs as they are either not elevated enough or on the wrong ridge.

There is no evidence of streams from the other two pools, so they may have a small outflow somewhere hard to reach, or even drain partially into the Subrosian. The above ground outflows and other local sources however combine to form the Mud Run – named for the silt it carries out of the mountains – which appears west of the village and forms Kakariko Gorge. It meets the River Hylia at the end of the gorge.

**The Melt**

The Melt is the first of two rivers originating from the Spine's melt waters. It forms small but deep semi-frozen lakes in the valleys, some warmed by thermals. The Melt eventually issues into the sea in the west, never seeing the plains. The river is named by the local inhabitants for literal reasons, and for the thermal heated lakes, which are warmer than anything else in the region.

The existence of this river is canon – it is seen at the base of Snow Peak in Twilight Princess.

**Ice Water**

Third largest of Hyrule's rivers, this river is supplied by the Spine's melt waters, and is a subsidiary of the Zora, joining the Zora major on the east side of the Great Plains of Eldin. The Ice Water is the river bridged by the Bridge of Eldin, not the river Zora, which it meets closer to the south of the Plains.

Named by inhabitants of the northern Steppe, as the river often carries ice down from the mountains, and never loses its chill until it mixes with Zora major.

**Veil River (Periodically Defunct)**

Flows directly south of Death Mountain to Hylia unless the spring is blocked, causing the river to dry up.

In the Adult Timeline before water levels first beginning to rise the spring unblocked and several others were formed, creating the Waterfalls of Wishing, named for a wish for water during a harsh drought. The river kept the name Veil. This becomes a major tributary.

**Fairy Springs**

Assume they feed their nearest rivers – there are too many individual springs to name.

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_**Places That Have No Business Existing, And Their Replacements**_

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**City in the Sky (Tethered City)**

I have nothing against the city itself, but two teensy details bug the hell out of me: randomly floating, and reachable by cannon. The city can fly, sure, magical world with some technology and all – but absently drifting? In bridged pieces? Even given that the bridges can be pulled in, (with a piece of technology not available in the city!?) what would a sudden crosswind or a storm do to a structure like that? Especially with the bridges out since sudden winds aren't really predictable. And if it is flying (if it is in the sky it has altitude control – if it has that it should be flyable) ignoring the fact the cannon shouldn't exist to begin with, how does the cannon know where to shoot travellers? Does it have a homing device? How did the homing device survive wreckage in Kakariko? The fat retired clown wouldn't know how to fix it. And why are we being shot out of cannons anyway? Those heights are fatal – I don't care who you are, hitting a large body of water won't help at such heights, it should feel little different than ground – any falling body should have long since reached terminal velocity, whatever it is in Hyrule. Bye bye Hero.

Solution: if they could get all of those smaller structures up, a single larger floating body should be no problem. Its bulk (inertia) and the absence of conjoining bridges remove most of the danger of wind shear. And lastly, a single body would be easier to connect to something – it may even be able to land or at least harness itself to the ground if necessary to protect itself when it needs to escape harsh conditions higher up. I imagine such a city would do well in mountain ranges, as it could rest in valleys and anchor on all sides that way. Some mountain tops can provide less mobile settlements.

And so I give you the Tethered City, most often found in the Ghost Mountains, helping give them their name. And look! If you can find it you can _walk_ into it!

**Fyer and Falbi's Grown Up Watertop Land of Fantastication **(Fyer and Falbi Hylia Fun Center)

Remember Fyer and Falbi? The retired clowns? Fyer runs the cannon ride in the game, but we've just been over that. (See above cannon note.) Being shot out of cannons is either a profession of specially trained performers or a punishment. Fyer probably has Ferris wheels and a tunnel of love with a pause button on the ride to justify the 'adult' qualification.

There was a cucco rant too, but they keep showing up as a means of travel: they're probably just freakishly strong birds who can kill you if you're caught alone on a field by an angry flock. That aside, who doesn't like a nice romantic flight by cucco in the evenings?

**The Wind Tribe**

You know in Four Swords that tower that reaches the clouds? I doubt it, but can you say Skyloft?

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_**Undefined Locations: we know they exist, but where?**_

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_*** HYRULE FIELD**_

Hyrule field is very fluid – it has many incarnations, but which is true? It is sometimes large, sometimes very small, but generally considered to consist of the bulk of Hyrule proper.

**Hyrule Field**

The central plains of Hyrule, this is considered the heart of Hylian and Hyrulian territory. Zora Major encompasses its north and western edges. The Minor cuts through the central field from the northeast. Lake Hylia is on the south-western corner. Forest covers the southeast.

Hyrule Field experiences moderate precipitation and all four seasons (cold winter, hot and humid summer). It is especially fertile.

**Plains of Eldin**

The plains between river Hylia in the north, Ice Water in the west, Zora major in the south, and the Steppe in the East. This is a single expansive field directly north of Hyrule Field. Rainfall is low, but not minimal, and temperatures vary widely through the year. The Eastern Hills begin in its south-eastern corner.

**Kakariko Gorge**

Kakariko Gorge, in a valley in the foothills below Kakariko Village and Death Mountain, is surrounded by a small rocky field, which looks over the westernmost Plains of Eldin. It is for the most part dry, as is Kakariko and this area of the mountains. Winters can be very harsh.

**Faron Grasslands**

In western Hyrule, between the river Hylia in the east, the Rolling Ridges and the river Ordon in the west, the Castor Wilds in the south, and the Veil foothills in the north, the Faron Grasslands are a series of lush fields surrounded by forests. The Grasslands receive greater than average rainfall and are relatively warm – winters are mild, never falling far below freezing. Small ponds and lakes abound.

**Ordon Highlands**

Interspersed among the hills of the Ridges are a number of mountain plateaus: the Highlands. These receive less rain than the Grasslands, but are above average. The climate is very moderate, summers are never very hot, although they can be very wet, and winters are short, rarely falling past freezing for very long, and when they do, not far.

**Lanayru Plains**

Beginning in the Eastern Hills and badlands in the north, Zora minor in the west, and reaching south along the eastern coast are the Lanayru Plains, a series of grasslands of variable rainfall, cool in the north with vastly varied seasons, and warm in the south with a pronounced sea effect climate (little seasonal variance). These plains are broken by many small forests.

**Eastern Steppe**

North and east of the Plains of Eldin the climate grows colder and drier as the ground begins to rise. These are the Steppe grasslands, a flat, highly elevated plain which ends abruptly with the Spine's cliffs. There are some inhospitable hills in the north, where the Veil nears the Spine. The Eastern Hills mark the southern limit of the Steppe.

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Last section! I've included basic industries and resources, and administration type – a little more relevant to the territories and countries.

For those who don't know and won't wiki attack: territories are non-sovereign lands with fewer rights of self governance, and/or have come under the governance of a higher governing power, such as a dukedom falling under a larger of a kingdom. Or Big Brother of the Gorons answering to the King or Queen of Hyrule.

This is the sum of the above and Appendix II.

_*** PROVINCES AND TERRITORIES**_

**The Belt Archipelago**

Comprises of the string of islands extending from Ghosts and Spine into the Zora Sea off Hyrule's coast. The largest area of Hyrule, with a very low population density. The Archipelago also includes the coastal regions of Hyrule, going three kilometres inland along the southern beaches between the Ghosts and the coastal Woodland Realm midway up the coast.

The principal island of the southern Archipelago is Koridai, while Gamelon in the northeast is the seat of governance. The Archipelago is a royal province and overseen by a steward. The Lord or Lady is normally a close relative of the King or Queen.

Main resource is the areas extensive fisheries. Deep water fishing does not typically occur due to treacherous waters. The larger islands can support some farming, but no exports. No notable mineral resources.

Climate is varied, but generally stormy.

**Castor**

Hyrule's second smallest province, Castor is a sparsely populated area comprising of only the Wilds, the swamp for which it is named. The Ghost comprises the southwest border, the Forest and Grasslands of Faron in the north and east. The Rolling Ridges begin in the northwest where Castor begins to dry out.

Capitol is the town of Marsh near the Faron border, overseen by a royally appointed governor.

Main resource is the cultivation of herbs for both cooking and medicinal purposes. Minor fisheries and magi-craft.

The climate is very hot, wet and muggy. Winter is a non-issue.

**Desert Province (territory)**

This is Hyrule's largest controlled region. The Desert Province consists of the Great Gerudo Desert and the Ghost. Its coastline is almost as wide as greater Hyrule's and curves far south before moving back north in the west as it approaches Labrynnan lands.

The Gerudo meritocracy maintains local matters from their capitol in the Fortress but the crown has control of all external affairs. The Zuna are nomadic and entirely self-governed: they do not acknowledge Hylian rule, but don't encounter it very often either as Hyrule has a long standing "don't see don't tell" policy where they are concerned.

Main resources are the mines and glass exports – the Gerudo are expert glass craftswomen. Minor income comes from some oasis-grown plants and minor fine-spun wool exports from the mountain regions.

Climate is desert and very windy everywhere but Gerudo Valley and the Desert Colossus Oasis in the deep southwest desert.

**Eldin**

Consists of Kakariko, the Veil foothills, the Plains of Eldin, and the Eastern Steppe. It has a moderate population, concentrated mostly in the west and south.

Eldin Province is series hereditary Dukedoms and Earldoms, but has a council of elected governors which oversee them. This is not a territory as this has always been Hylian land, with the exception of the Steppe – most titles were originally gifted by past Kings and Queens.

Main resources are farming and mining, shared with the Goron Hills.

Climate is temperate and warm in the west, and sub-arctic and cold in the northeast. The entire area is rather dry, but snowfall tends to be heavy in the Steppe which has a short, profitable growing season.

**Faron**

Faron is the grasslands and forests encircled by Hyrule Field in the east, the westernmost Plains of Eldin in the north, the Rolling Ridges in the west, and the Castor Wilds in the south. Low to moderate population concentrated around larger streams.

Faron, like Castor, has a royally appointed governor, supported by local townships that do most of the actual work. The governor operates from a manor in central Faron.

Main resources are farming and forestry. Exports of herbs for cooking, medicine, and magi-craft are also larger here than anywhere else in Hyrule.

The climate is warm and wet: sub-tropical. Winters are mild and very short.

**Goron Hills (territory)**

The Veil Mountains, excepting the foothills and Kakariko. Inhabited almost entirely by Gorons, the population is much localized around certain peaks and ranges.

Governed by the Goron Big Brother (Patriarch) and the Tribal Elders, this is an eldership. The Goron Hills, while considered a territory of Hyrule are almost completely independent. Hyrule is 'consulted' in their internal and external dealings, but only as a formality, honouring past treaties.

The main resource of the Hills is the mining of minerals. Metal work is also a very strong export.

The mountain climate tends to be dry, water coming almost entirely from springs and melt in the high peaks of the central ranges. Temperature varies from east to west.

**Lake Province (territory)**

Consists of Lake Hylia and a few smaller waterways immediately surrounding it.

Lake Hylia has long since been considered sacred to all of Hyrule's races. As such, rather than debate ownership, it is considered a joint territory. A council of races manages the area. The local population is also quite low as setting up settlements on the lakeshore is seen as taboo.

Exports have included mining at some periods, but the main source of income of Lake Province is tourism – both religious and recreational.

The climate is warm and occasionally humid. The northeast half of the lake undergoes a partial freeze in the winter months. Rainfall is average.

**Lanayru**

Consisting of the Lanayru Plains and small woods with a narrow stretch between the Ghost and Lake Province down to the sea. Wide area with dense population centers near to Lake Province and near, but not on, the coast. The Northwest is avoided due to the risk of raids from the desert pass at Gerudo Valley.

Lanayru Province also has an appointed governor who works with the local Sault barons and nomadic Chiefs to maintain the province.

Hyrule's breadbasket.

Climate is warm and very wet with a strong sea/lake effect, enhanced by being on the windward side of the Ghost. The northeast has a slightly strong risk of fires in the month of Dinya (Appendix V).

**Ordon (Territory)**

Comprising of the Rolling ridges and the Highlands nestled within them; Ordon is a relatively new province to Hyrule in the time of the Twilight Invasion.

Ordon is a unified series of townships which, like the Desert Province, answers directly to the crown for external affairs, while handling their own local affairs themselves.

Exports are primary and secondary agricultural and mining. No forestry – some of the trees talk.

The climate is mild year-round, with moderate rainfall. The lowlands house thick old growth forests, while the highlands are rich in grasses and low trees.

**Snowpeak**

Officially a Hylian province, but a wilderness in practise, Snowpeak Province is comprised for the Spine from the steppe and eastern desert in the west to the coast in the east.

Small trade in furs, minerals, and winter herbs with the steppe villages and tribes.

The climate is bitterly cold and stormy year-round.

**Valley**

Hyrule's smallest province, located in the southernmost Ghost Mountains, between the eastern ranges nearer to Lake Province. It boasts the second of two non-forested shorelines.

Has a council of governors which runs from the port of Nym.

Main income is from mining and taxation of imports. Some fishing and numerous craftsmen contribute as well. Very minor farming occurs in the east – goat herding makes up the bulk.

Valley has numerous micro climates, with many small valleys actually being quite cold, despite the southerly provenience and closeness to the deserts, while others are just as hot and dry as one would guess. The easternmost tend to be humid.

**Woodland Realm (other)**

Technically neither a province nor a territory, and does not lend itself to mapping. The Woodland Realm is governed by the mythical Deku Trees, and does not usually take a stance in world affairs. When it does take an interest, it tends to favour the royal house of Hyrule, though not always. The Woodland Realm reaches into all regions.

**Zora's Domain (territory)**

All waterways in the mainland are technically in the Zora's dominion, although for practical purposes only the Rivers Hylia and Zora, and their headwaters are in Zora's Domain.

The Domain is ruled by the Zora Royal family for interior demands and trades near exclusively with Hyrule which surrounds the Domain – hence its status as a territory under the High King, which was the only really practical arrangement.

Trade is in freshwater fisheries, medicinal herbs, and crafts (carving, fine metalwork, and magically imbued trinkets).

The climate is varied due to land covered.

_*** NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES**_

**Acerose**

A long narrow country along the River Ordon, which historically has sometimes included Trimal, to the coast of the North Sea, squeezed between Calatia and Holodrum. A country of enforced neutrality and no precedent in the games. Looking at the map I was reluctant to give any one nation control of that area but realistically it would change hands often. It eventually becomes self governing and neutral in the interests of maintaining peace with the neighbors.

**Calatia**

A country to the northwest of Hyrule, north of the Nuun Highlands, it has a large coast on the North Sea.

**Holodrum**

Originally a prosperous Kingdom between the Spine, Veil, River Ordon and the North Sea Holodrum later fell into decay and was eventually made into a Hylian province. It is heavily wooded with many forests (some of which are outcroppings of the Lost Woods/Woodland Realm) and marshes: for practical purposes, Holodrum becomes wilderness, and is overrun by barbarian tribes such as the moblin.

**Labrynna**

A friendly country to the west of Hyrule, it borders the Talus Heights, Nuun Highlands, Trimal (Occasionally a Labrynnan province), The Rolling Ridges, the Ghost and the Zora Sea. Labrynna once had a royal house, but is now an aristocracy.

**Trimal**

Occasionally a province to both Hyrule and Labrynna, and other times independent, this is the area in the northwest-most corner, in the flatlands between the Veil, Rolling Ridges and Nuun Highlands.

It is governed directly by the rulers of whichever country currently holds it. If it is independent it uses a mobile court, moving between fortresses – the people being very mobile and suspicious of foreigners: with reason.

Main resources are farming and mercenary work, usually to protect caravans in this much contested area.

Climate is temperate, windy and relatively dry, but not parched.

O_o_o_o_o-o_o_o_o_o-o_o_o_o_o-o_o_o_o_o-o_o_o_o_o-o_o_o_o_o-o_o_o_o_o-o_o_o_o_o

_Next up, Magic_


	4. III Magic

**Edited 3-3-2013**

**Magic**

**Magic in Hyrule**

_This is the original Appendix._

_If someone has ideas for abilities or specialized magi or abilities, feel free to suggest something: I will always credit whoever suggests an idea._

Hylians are generally magical. They can all do some magic – even if it's limited to getting a hunch just that one time they were in the market visiting Aunt Muriel. (Whose name probably wouldn't be Muriel, come to think it. Digressing.) They have it, they're just not all _good_ at it. Some people are powerhouses, some can barely light a match, and the exceedingly rare Hylian might actually lack it completely, but there is no scale gauging magical prowess because power is not the only factor involved. Knowledge (since inborn knowledge is prohibitively rare) skill, and access (able to reach your personal power or other sources as it is possible to be hobbled) are more important, and those tend to be judged on a relative, case-by-case basis. Different people use power differently, and if training is insufficient how much strength you have or how you tap into it is meaningless anyway.

This is, incidentally, one of the main reasons more non-Hylians than Hylians try to obtain the Triforce. Most Hylians realise they'd actually be unable to use it – or at least, they wouldn't ever be able to use it properly because it exists on a completely different wavelength from the mortal realm. Because of this – effectively a lack of knowledge - they wouldn't be able to get what they want or even anything close. Which isn't to say they don't try: the ratio is about 3:2 for Hylian vs. non-Hylian, but it's more a question of ease of access than anything else. What homeland is the entrance to the Sacred Realm in, after all?

As it stands, magic itself is divided – usually described as a current, or as a having 'depths'.

The easiest way to view magic is as a series of oceans (the elements) with different levels of currents. All oceans mix sooner or later but each one has its own characteristics, with the deeper, larger currents (like the Gulf Stream) being the harder to affect and the surface the most unstable (as any little kid can make ripples and mini-whirlpools).

The deepest depths, or Deepening Magic, is the least mutable: it is closest to the divine source where magic comes from and holds the world together. It is tied to elemental things, and is especially felt in places such as mountain ranges, springs, and the Old Woods. These are the things which do not change and are always in their element. By contrast, the simplest forms of magic (Shallow Magic, Penny Magic, Hedge Craft) are usually small temporary spells as well as simple, short term divinatory magic's. The Shallow Magic is felt when a powerful magic user gets emotional – sudden wind storms, damage and other generally dramatic things occur.

**ELEMENTS**

The only constants at all levels of magic are the elements, as well as divination, which is a sort-of special case. Most Hylians have divinatory abilities and at least one strong elemental leaning (Aspect), and rarely more than three strong Aspects, although they can use some parts of any element.

The elements are Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Spirit, Energy, Life, and Shadow and Light. I chose nine since three is a recurring element of Zelda due to the all-important Triforce, and elements will tie into the pantheon (eight-ish is a common number in real-world pantheons, with many supporting gods/spirits/deities). Time is a loose tenth. Darkness is an unmentioned 'element' because it refers to Chaos.

**Fire** is largely destructive, although there are healing, protective, and weather related aspects to it.

**Water** lends itself to healing, weather, aquatic life, purification, and minor warding. (Ever heard the superstition that evil cannot cross flowing water?)

**Air** covers wind, flight, sky, and weather, as well as soul magic.

**Spirit** is the mind magic's – mind reading, projecting one's mind, mind healing (after trauma) – as well as abilities to commune or interact with other orders of being – the Fay, the spirits, the dead – and order – justice and balance. An arbiter (see below) is more likely to have a Spirit affinity than anything else.

**Energy** has to do with electricity and movement and as such covers some weather, runes, destructive magic, and an affinity to machines. Energy also tends to attract eccentrics.

There are two elemental dyads which are found almost universally together:

**Earth** is tied into dirt and stone and is often paired with **Life** which covers life in general. Someone with an earth talent might be able to manipulate earth, shape it, pass through it, animate it, or have an affinity for runic disciplines. Life lends itself to healing, growing things, affinities for animals, and potions. Often referred to as **Forest**.

**Shadow** and **Light**, do not exist separately. They encompass illusion, necromancy, purification, spirit magic's, some warding, as well as, to a minor extent, justice.

_*Note_ – there exist no strictly 'offensive' or 'defensive' magic's – all elements can take on either slant.

**Also, magic can be active (spell casting and ritual) or passive ('on' regardless of the magician in question's attention to it. Requires no or little control)

Identifying someone's aspect is generally pretty straight forward as it usually comprises of what is easiest to do without tools. If someone is drawn to magical items with a specific element it may be a hint but it's not indicative.

**DIVINATION**

**Divination** is the ability to in some way see into the past, the present elsewhere, and the future. It is thought to be an attunement to the currents of magic. The attunement is natural, and cannot be learned, although it can be more difficult to use if left untouched, like any unused muscle: divination is (usually) a very subtle, very frustrating discipline.

In the currents of magic 'ripples' form and project possible outcomes to the seer granting the ability to "see" what may happen in time. Seeing the present is done when something monumental happening _at that moment _galvanizes the sight to it, or when something resonates with another location where the seer is or with the seer his or herself. The past can be seen in any of those ways.

The future can be divined from dreams, visions, hunches, augury, crystal readings, or any other number of means, some of which can be quite unusual. The means are however overwhelmingly unpleasant, as the truth, of which there is always at least a little in a good fortune, is may be no more appealing than the method used to learn it.

**Prophecy** tends to be vague and irritating, just like it is everywhere else (as anyone who knows where the line "if you go to war a great empire will fall" comes from can attest). Seers are occasionally capable of reasonably clear answers, but the only definitive divine word is the Divine Voice.

**The Divine Voice** is very rarely heard – nominally only at pivotal moments in history. It is also known as the "The Many who are One" and is generally believed to be the gods themselves speaking via any seer of moderate to strong sight in the vicinity when divine guidance or approval is sought. The voice has been known to drive the people it speaks through mad. Some prophets are subject to the Divine Voice.

**Weighted words** could be anything spoken that takes on a certain presence: the voice may become layered as though someone else speaks in tandem or the words may come without any control on the part of the speaker (to be a mouthpiece) or even known only by a pressure on the eardrums. The weighted word is however unmistakable and in essence a watered down Divine Voice.

It is generally believed that all Hylians have this ability to some degree due to having the Goddess's favour. Very few Hylians, however, ever actually receive visions of any kind or even attempt to divine anything, although they place great importance on the words of seers, Oracles and prophets – the truly gifted in divination. Most Hylians don't do very much of note without contacting seers or, if possible, Oracles to see what their odds are, and if it runs counter to the will of the gods – something unthinkable to a chosen people. Words of prophecy are to be ignored at your peril.

**Prophets** receive visions from higher powers, or from magic itself, without any control of their own. Most sight belongs to the realm of prophecy, although only the stronger bearers of sight are called prophets. Most Heroes have been believed to be prophets – supposedly to aid in their quests.

**Seers** are a strong talent who are reliable and are usually able to call upon their abilities, although they are known to receive prophecies. These are the augers, bone casters, diviners, etc. A future read or called upon is a **fortune** unless a drug is used to create it in which case it is called an **oracle**, different from an Oracle.

The **Oracles** are divinely favoured Seers who receive guidance from specific higher powers: they participate in an exchange of sorts. The most well known Oracles are of course the young women favoured by the Three, who take on their patron's names in their official roles.

**TIME**

Time magic exists, but is very rare: a fortunate thing, seeing as how the manipulation of time is the most dangerous of magic. Those who play with the flow of time heedless of any repercussion run the risk of damaging time and space, possibly to the end of all. Rhythm is the primary means of manipulating time, although not the only.

There are only ever five people at a time allowed to manipulate time: the Sage of Time, the three Oracles of the Golden Goddesses, and the Hero, whoever those people are at any given time.

**RANKING**

People who use magic are collectively called **magi**. Magi use magic differently based on what depth of magic they cast at. From deepest to highest there are:

_**Elemental Works, Deepening Magic**_. **Deepening Mages**: People who work on the most basic levels of magic. This is very rare, often passive talent and a highly will-driven discipline, and can be either incredibly useful or useless, depending on the aspect, specific abilities and the temperament of the person, but successful elemental mage-works will last literally forever. Deepening magic is also usually very strong internally – a Life aspect may have a fast rate of healing, while a Spirit aspect may be resistant to possession. Elementals usually have one strong element, and Heroes are usually Deepening Mages with other lesser aspects. TWW!Link would be a Deepening Wind mage – can cast with his tools, and the influence is in a big, lasting way.

_**Sorcery**_**. Sorcerer, Sorceress**. These guys arise ever so often. A middling-deep power, they tend to favour big magic, which take preparation and tend to be permanent, although not usually completely immutable. A sorcerer or mage can usually use self-changing magic – such as a water sorcerer who makes herself able to breathe under water, or an air sorcerer who can fly. (Can you say Vaati?) Again, sorcerers tend to specialize, but not always. The Sages will often be sorcerers.

_**Mage Craft.**_** Mage.** Operate on a shallow to middling-deep magic, varying from person to person. They aren't restricted to a single element, although they do tend to be stronger in one or in rare cases two or three. This, and the ability to cast shallow magic's from most or all spheres characterises a mage.

_**Wizardry**_**. Witches. Wizards. **Using shallow and some mid-depth magic, wizardry is a very common form of magi-craft. Using largely shallow magic, cadres of witches and warlocks are a common feature of the Hylian Royal Army, as they are often well suited to healing, battle magic and communications.

_**Witch Craft**_**. Hedge Witches**. Hedge witches and equivalents are the most common and delve into shallow magic exclusively – their works tend to last little time, but for the most part are used to serve communities or given tasks. Hedge witches do the same jobs they do in the fairy tales of our world – small tricks in day to day life.

**ASSORTED SPECIFIC PRATITIONERS**

Being one of these does not mean you can do everything that that title is known for.

**Arbiter**

Usually a Deepening Spirit Mage, although Sages, Heroes, Prophets and Oracles of any aspect can fill the role as required. An arbiter dispenses the Gods' justice in either the Voice or weighted words, depending on the severity of the ruling, and on whether the god itself gives judgement via arbiter, or if the arbiter does with the gods backing.

**Beast Master**

A beast master, a Life or Forest magi, who always has the beast tongue, (see below) can impose his or her will on other creatures. The most successful masters do so by familiarity and trust, rather than true forced dominion. Animals will also become tame around a beast master. Masters can only control creatures they can communicate with. The Sacred Beast is the best known example of this*.

*[I was thinking of the controlling cuccos here, mostly he just gets intel from animals. WW!Link also controls gulls, and Aryll may be one too. OoT!Link is the opposite: liable to be maimed by cuccos, but can also talk to cows.]

**Chosen One**

A person who as, as per the name, been chosen by the gods for a specific purpose, but are not necessarily magi themselves beyond their divine blessing. This is a term to be avoided since it is very vague. Heroes, Sages or Royals are Chosen, as people typically expect, or but someone might be considered Chosen by being intended to develop a new invention (the inventor of the printing press or pottery wheel would be especially strong examples for magicless Hylian Chosen since they are revolutionary tools) or to merely deposit something for anther Chosen to later find – someone had to place all those convenient tools and treasure hoards after all. It just means 'has higher purpose.'

**Disciple**

Someone with uncommon ability across the full spectrum of their Aspect. Often considered to be favoured by a god – or even groomed by them. A Disciple are thought to be a god's highest follower, or possibly even a replacement for an old and tiring spirit or lesser Deity. Disciples are as such considered close to ascendancy (i.e. they are becoming gods themselves).

**Heroes**

Reputedly usually Deepening Mages of any aspect, Heroes are people with the task of resolving major conflicts where other forces have failed. They always have at least one patron god or goddess. They are not necessarily the gods' answer to crises, but tend to appear with just the abilities they will need or means to procure them, indicating a divine influence on them regardless. They may be Hyrule's own answer to the future it predicts, if one believes a land can see such things...

In any case, the gods recognise competence when it appears and support it. Note that this makes every potential Hero a Sage to their Aspect: they cease being Sage and become the Hero as necessity demands.

**Oracle**

**Prophet**

**Royals**

The royals serve Hyrule, and in return Hyrule serves the royals – not the other way around. The royal families of Hyrule are all families of magi who serve under divine appointment – this is well known. What is not commonly known (for largely obvious political and prideful reasons) is that all royal houses of Hyrule are in effect stewards answering to the gods and spirits of the land. When their goals no longer match Hyrule's' they forfeit their purview and another royal family who better suits the job is appointed in very loud and obvious divine ways so as to remove all doubt. In this way Hyrule is ever under solid (or at least honest) leadership and if a family dies out there will always be replacements – an especially important thing as Royals seldom have many children and the country is disaster prone.

Note that this does not mean that a ruling royal family during a crisis forfeits their rule – they can hardly control the course of the Heroic Cycles – but if they were at fault, either by pride or direct action then the house falls.

Two known families are Harkinian (all the kings of that house their house name as a throne name) and Nohansen.

**The Sages and sages**

Can come from any rank. Sages are magical beings divinely appointed to perform tasks for the gods and lands. There are generally principal Sages who take precedence in grand designs as well as lesser sages: there being a single Sage for any element is a common misconception. Having multiple sages spreads the work out and leaves backup plans in case a Sage is killed, as is wont to happen during Great (Heroic) Cycles, when they are generally most needed.

**Seer**

**Shaman**

Shaman is a specific title referring to a mage with a combination earth/life/spirit leaning. They are usually healers and spirit walkers of varying ability, and community leaders.

**Spirit Walkers**

Spirit walkers are typically Spirit, Air, and Life Aspect magi. They can be able to enter or manipulate the dreams of others, speak with the dead, and seek the origins and purposes of actions or magics through mystical means. They are usually seers.

**ASSORTED SPECIFIC ABILITIES AND SPELLS**

Drawn directly from the games where possible, but also includes skills not identified as 'magic' and stuff from my head-canon. Like with specific

**Beast Tongue **[Life]

The ability to speak with animals, always held by beast masters but not limited to them. However, not all animals can speak, and not all beast speakers can speak to all intelligent animals – very few in fact can. The Hero of Twilight is the one of a handful of people recorded to have been able to speak to more than one class of creature: mammals, amphibians, and avians. Only fitting for the Sacred Beast. (It might have been argued that fish and insects do not have the required intelligence, but the Zora have been known to speak to some fish, while insect speakers, including one from the Sacred Beast's time, are known. Reptiles are not found in most of Hyrule, and thus remain largely untested.) Most people can only speak to one family or genus, such as cats, or hawks.

This is a mostly passive talent (some spells do temporarily mimic it) but the voices of creatures can be tuned out by the Speaker. Beast Tongue is relatively common among Hylians, especially those who live in wilder areas.

**Bombosa (Bombos) **[Fire]

A spell which unleashes an explosive fire. When cast Bombosa can be as large or small as the caster is able to manage. Bombosa can also be created by means of charged runes (usually on tablets) in which case the spell is called Bombos. One version of the Bombos tablet is to engrave the necessary symbols on a blade, which will then burn those it strikes when it is charged.

**Convergence** or **Interesting Times **[Energy]

Technically a curse. Most Energy Aspects of mid to deep power unconsciously exert an influence on situations around them causing frequent mayhem both minor and major. Not to be confused with Heroes who have this problem too.

**Din's Fire (Holy Fire) **[Fire, or Deepening or sage]

A form of fire that few can wield. It is spell bestowed by the goddess and her servants to the worthy, typically the bold and pure of heart. Din's Fire is a purifying fire which will only burn what the caster intends.*

*[Like setting torches alight while not burning the rest of the wooden torch. Or not burning the grass but striking an attacker...]

**Dowsing **[Divination]

The ability to track or locate something in present time. This is an example of a past-present divination. The dowser reaches into the currents of magic with an intent in mind (whether to find where a person is or has been, locate an object or find a good spot to sink a well) and traces that object though the currents. A particularly good dowser can be very precise. It is not possible to dowse for a future location.

**Ether (Thunder) **[Energy, Water, Fire]

A spell which summons lightening. This spell can either be cast or it can be ritually summoned using runic tablets.

**Eye of Truth, Spirit Eyes **[Shadow/Light, Spirit, Air, or with Veering]

A holder of the eye of truth cannot be fooled by illusion and has the ability to see spirits and ghosts. The eye is limited by power and ability – a more powerful illusion can fool a weaker eye. An Air aspect will not cut through illusion although that mage will see spirits. There are spells and objects to mimic the Eye. A person capable of veering (see below) will always have the Eye as animals are generally closer to the land and truth – a case of matter over mind, the ability to hold higher concepts removes from this and allows deception to become easier.

**Farore's Wind (the Wind Step) **[Air, or Deepening or sage]

Another goddess given spell, Farore's wind transports the caster varying (but generally short) distances. Like Din's Fire and Nayru's Love (below) the Wind can only be learned by the pure of heart.

**Fay Day (The Fairy Spell)** [?]

A strange spell that turns the object – which can be the caster – into a fairy for a period of time. Due to the good (if oft tricksy) nature of the Fay it is only taught to the pure of heart, as with the spells of the Golden Goddesses.

**Green Thumb **[Life, Earth]

Talent in Gardening. This is passive magic with some active magic applications. This is specifically used in gardening – a person with a true Green Thumb can encourage astounding growth or recovery in any form of fauna, and a person with a higher level of skill wielding magic can encourage certain growth patterns, certain traits, or breeding in plants. A gardener with a Green Thumb was likely at fault for at least a few varieties of Deku Baba.

*Like a beast master, a green mage has an opposite who will have a **Black Thumb**. Not everyone can garden.

**Healing Touch **[Life, Earth, Water]

As it sounds, the Healing Touch can heal with a touch – the degree of the healing is the variable, as well as the quality. The Touch fights infection, knits skin and bone, and reduces trauma. It does not however replace blood or clean wounds. Mental trauma needs a specialist in Spirit magic. If a healer with the touch is not well trained they can knit the wrong things together, cause blood clots, or a whole host of other things.

**Kiss of Life (The Life Spell) **[Fire, Air]

A soul magic, rather than true life magic. A fire or air magi of great power (depth is irrelevant) may be able to impart life force though a kiss to the dying or recently dead. This cannot be frequently used as it usually takes some of the casters' life force, and is mostly passive magic, being dependant on intent rather than active skill. Only very rarely appears in Life Aspect magi, and never in Spirit which is more concerned with the mind and order. The Kiss features in many tales.

**Memory of Stone **[Earth]

The spirits of earth, like all others, are capable of bearing witness to events, but only those of immutable stone are able to remember. Those they can speak to or even show their memory to are said to have the memory of stone. It is also possible for people, especially masons, to impart their own memories into stone for another to later find.

**Nayru's Love (the Aegis, Sanctuary) **[Water, Deepening or sage]

Third of three spells given by the Golden Goddesses, Nayru's Love is a shield against any and all harm. The caster, who as with the sister-spells must be true in heart, can be struck but will experience no pain while the spell is active. It is difficult to maintain.

**Pathos **[Water, Air, Energy]

When any mage of deep or large power experiences an extreme of emotion they run the risk of losing control of their powers. Irate Earth Aspect magi run the risk of causing earthquakes, while exuberant Life Aspects attract wildlife or cause plants to run amok, and all burnable things are removed from the vicinity of Fire Aspects no matter what extreme. Pathos however is the tendency found in some Air, Water and Energy Aspect magi of any rank or power to cause weather phenomena accidentally, with only minor emotional outbursts. Self control moderates this, but it is relatively rare.

**To Play the World (To Sing the World) **[Time?]

The rare ability to affect the world with song and rhythm. It appears most commonly in Heroes and Royals, although minor talents may become bards or other performers. _To sing to the world and have the world sing back._

**Purge **[Fire]

Fire Aspect magi, especially a deepening mage or potential sage, might have this ability: to purge the souls of wrong doers with a touch or a meeting of eyes. The purge may come in the form of a revelation to the merely misguided, or in truly wicked souls, the painful and final stripping of the soul – death. This may be tied to the Arbiters and punishments met out.

**Shadow Walk **and** Light Step **[Shadow/Light]

The ability, innate but trainable, to meld into shadows or light, to appear to vanish into them, or to travel by them is called Shadow Walking or the Light Step. With frequent use it does become instinctive, and so partially passive, but it always has active elements. This is most commonly found in Twili, Ilkana, and Sheikah.

**Time Travel **[Deepening, Sorcery]

Usually achieved by ritual, but necessarily rare, time travel does occur. There are spells (Such as the Sun's Song and Song of Time) which manipulate the flow of time or can send a person through it. Time travel and manipulation is usually limited to the Oracles, and the Hero and Sage of Time due to the risk of paradox and, frankly, jumpstarting apocalypses.

**Tremor **[Earth, or Deepening or Sorcery]

A spell which causes a powerful but highly localized earthquake which does not affect the caster.

**Veering **[Any Aspect, Deepening magic]

Veering refers to the ability to change one's shape into that of another creature. A person with the potential to veer will always have the ability to speak to the Genus or Family that that creature is part of. This is an active magic but the talent for it is innate – if you do not have a form to veer into you cannot change into an animal, or have your form changed.* It is said that those with the potential are also more likely to have the potential to ascend.

*[Someone who, under the same curses that change others people into their veered form, turns into a monster (or at least into some_thing_) would not have this potential. The monster would be the result of forcing the issue. However spells of human transformation to objects or to other beings (such as the Fairy Spell) are not subject to this caveat.]

**Warping** [Any Aspect or rank, large power]

The ability to transport oneself instantly from one point to another. This is a very large energy consumer, so few can manage it. It differs from other transporting abilities in that it does not have an Aspect, and from the Wind Step in that it does not require virtue in the caster.

.o0O0o.o0O0o.

.o0O0o.o0O0o.

**A.N.2: **I feel like looking at some Heroes.

I was sifting through various games and wikis for said games and concluded that the Link from Zelda I-II could do some really esoteric sh*t. Going by my own classifications he seems to be a wizard. (Mostly temporary superficial magic with a few more complex and lasting things thrown in for kicks, like Bunny Link). Maybe a Fire leaning? He also has the largest repertoire we know of.

WW!Link has a small repertoire but great effect. I tend to see him as a Deepening Air Mage with other lesser aspects (fire/ice arrows are shallow spells, light is holy). And since he can control gulls he may have a Life leaning. (Or Spirit if you take his guiding others as possession rather than shouting instructions.) In PH he gets to play with instruments of time but that's Hero's prerogative and using a tool or ritual rather than his own inclinations.

TP!Link is hard to place. He has Life since he can talk to animals, (or at least has a good understanding of them as a human,) there is a distinct absence of illusion in TP (which I would have expected in a lot of places) and he can see spirits (although special focus is required to talk to or deal with them) but that's probably from the veering. He also has the favour of a Wind Spirit: Air aspect? This is all mostly passive. He may have a Light leaning too since he occasionally seems to glow in the dark. Deepening Life, minor Air and Shadow/Light? It seems like a lot, but he isn't superhuman, a lot is asked of him and not a bit of it is cast magic.

OoT!Link is a deepening mage since he can manipulate time (deep and serious stuff) but does have a few extra spells, like a bit of a green thumb. But the charged spin seems to be energy and the others are given by goddess to their agents so they can be explained as deepening magic too. Plus he opens with prophetic visions. All Time all the time.

Oracles!Link transforms into anything _but_ animals, and uses magical tools, but what is he? No f*ing idea. Veering, some ability with Time, maybe a green thumb?

All I can give ST!Link is some degree of a Spirit leaning since he controls Zelda's actions when she possesses something. I don't recall him having much else, so...

SS!Link dowses, (Fi is only an interface). Otherwise... Hero's prerogative in Time, some passive wind?

Moving on...


	5. IV Of Gods

**Of Gods:**

**Hyrule is Born**

The myths of Hyrule are frankly kind of fascinating.

There is a divine creator myth with hints of the earth diver motif, with idea of balance inscribed from the very first – a standard feature to myths. There are legends, prophecies, Heroes, protector spirits and more.

However, many ideas have not entered into the mythology. There are many elements but half of them are not ascribed to the gods. The origins of the people themselves are never explained. And neither are any natural phenomena. Which is weird, since cults form around them.

[Rough logic to the modern eye: Why does the sun cross the sky? Dunno, maybe there's someone pulling it? Helluva strong bloke, that – let's not piss him off. Maybe if we give him something he'll look out for us? Terrible example, but you get the idea.]

Anyway, it's as good an excuse as any to build on the mythos.

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o

_Before time began, before spirits and life existed... Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule..._ _Din... With her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth._ _Nayru... Poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore... With her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law._ _The three great goddesses, their labors completed, departed for the heavens. And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where the goddesses left the world. Since then, the sacred triangles have become the basis of our world's providence._

This is the canon creation myth told to the Hero of Time by the Deku Tree. So far as I am aware, this is the only creation myth we are given in the entire series – there are other origin myths, but they are specific origins of peoples or objects. (Even the Hylia related tales in Skyward Sword are specific origin, not creation myths.) This passage is the making of the world.

The only other mention of an alternate version is the idea that the Oocca created Hyrule after being created by the Gods (re: Shad, Twilight Princess). Personally, I think this is bung. For starters: how could they have built _anything_? They have no hands, their feet aren't equipped to be prehensile, and they show no abilities past the warp-thing. Admittedly they know the technology of their homes – but not enough to fix it. They make no real effort towards self defence when the dragon invades nor do they try to repair anything as Link wanders the city – they just wander aimlessly. Even Ooccoo, an emissary, is useless when the Dominion rod runs out of power: she just throws it back at Link and gives up! Great wind tribe? I don't think so. More likely the city was abandoned by an earlier more advanced people (Wind Tribe/Skyloft) and the Oocca took up squatting there. So created a world or other race? Veeery doubtful. The Wind Tribe may have populated/built a new nation however. Still not creation or making a 'new' race – just a new tribe of the old one.

Back to the Ocarina of Time myth, I picked at it quickly:

Presumably during this process time began – but who made time? Does it simply happen as soon as the goddesses arrive and with change the moments begin to separate? Nayru is often associated with the flow of time, especially since her Oracle is the Oracle of Ages. But is manipulation of seasons or the keeping of histories (with the oracles of Din and Farore respectively) not time related as well? The Hero of Time (and all his pretty time bending tunes) and Ceilia, the Spirit of Courage and Time are connected more strongly to Farore. Due to the contradiction, however, I am more inclined to say that while they can all manipulate time, its governance belongs not to them, but rather to the Goddess of Time mentioned by Zelda and Tatl.

Gods appear: created, pulled selves from the ether, or arrived from elsewhere, we don't know.

Din, right off, is given strength, earth, fire, and oddly enough, farming. It says, specifically, "cultivation," and nuances are important. It is surprising here since agriculture and wildlife are usually attributed to Farore or other minor powers. On the other hand it does illustrated quite nicely the idea that few gods are actually restricted to what they are acknowledged patrons of, even in real world religion. (There's always jockeying in stories related to the Greek and Roman pantheons – even the supreme ruler can be overturned or faked out in his/her own domain.)

Nayru has wisdom, water ('poured'), and law, from which we can infer morality. (Neither heroes nor villains are ever primarily tied to Nayru, since both can act counter to morality, although for Heroes ends probably justify the means. Usually.) As law also has connotations of balance we can also add in any other dualities that may apply, (the first being right and wrong, good and evil) such as light and dark, day and night.

Farore has courage ('spirit' referring both to courage, energy, the soul [incidentally implying a karmic universe, all individuals originally being from the one, and even nearly confirmed reincarnation – do mostly-former goddesses count?] and wind [as breath and wind are often regarded as the movement of the soul]) and life. (Presumably wildlife since Din has agriculture.) This makes Farore the 'Mother Goddess" of Hyrule.

The gods left, leaving behind a very powerful relic which by presence alone influences the world.

(Providence: noun. Chance, fate, luck, divine intervention; God or some natural force that some believe controls human lives.)

The Triforce as an aspect of a Karmic force driving the events of Hyrule is a notion that sits well with me, especially since the idea of the Triforce as an obtainable item does not permeate the stories. It occurs, but it is not a requirement. The Triforce's greatest power, since it is so rarely all in one place, is not the absolute power that comes from the united relic, but from it marking individuals and drawing them together to drive history.

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o

Problem: the Golden Goddesses left. So who are the gods that people pray to and who are active within the world?

Besides which, if you're going to have a pantheon, four gods seems a little thin. They usually seem to average out around eight, plus umpteen minor gods and spirits, plus one or two omnipotent gods, so let's go with that. And hey, how many aspects do we have? Nine? Roll with it.

As always there are other ways to do this: this is where my fiction starts.

_**KNOWN GODS:**_

_Nine gods descended into the chaos... _

_**Farore, Goddess of Wind and Courage**_

_Beloved Farore... with her great soul breathed life into the land..._

Farore has two major aspects, Air and Forest/Life, both very strong, especially as they are explicitly canon (Farore's Wind and 'produced all life forms'). There is however a viable alternative and that breath of soul, life and courage is a very strong one – minor gods like Cyclos and Zephos (wind direction and storms – lesser deities) can't claim to anything so grand. No god is actually limited to anything – this is mortals attributing to gods, or noting their preferences.

It's said the soul grows, so animi (Latin: breath, wind, soul, courage, spirit...) in place, she has no need to remain, although it is said she left and aspect of herself behind: Preta, (Sanscrit for 'spirit, spirit of the dead') the Gate Keeper, who guides souls of the dead to their next destination.

_**Din,**__**Goddess of Fire and Strength**_

_Fierce Din... with her strong flaming arms forged the red earth..._

She may have made the red tilled earth, but her fire seems a little more personal, so we compromise – in 'Fire Goddess' includes earthquakes and especially volcanoes. She's an angry goddess, but fire is the main thing. Her worshippers would put emphasis on metalwork and burning offerings.

_**Nayru, Goddess of Spirit and Wisdom**_

_Wise Nayru... poured her wisdom into the land and gave to it the spirit of law..._

Nayru seems ethereal with strong water, spirit, and order. She would have water, but the primary aquatic race worships someone else! But Law and Order isn't a magical aspect, but Spirit, as in the spirit of the law or the idea behind a gesture, is.

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o

_**NEW GODS:**_

_Their work complete, the three sisters Din, Farore and Nayru, departed from the world..._

_Their siblings remained to watch over and guide their children..._

_**Dekan, God of Life**_

_Dekan... from his great boughs created all things which grow..._

No, not Deku. While Deku guards over life eternal and is very long lived himself, he is actually mortal – grows old and dies. (He had help on the dying, but he was looking kind of rickety anyway. The Sprout has his knowledge, but is a child in personality – effectively a new being with racial memory, a different kind of life eternal.

The original Life God came with the Golden Goddesses, and did not leave but diminished instead, creating a new generation of lesser tree gods, among whom were the Deku (OoT, WW), Maku (OoA, OoS) and Bagu (Manga-verse), who guarded the forests and fields of the world.

_**Ujaal, God of Light, and Amcher, God of Shadow**_

_Twins Ujaal and Amcher... gave the passing of days and their trickster ways..._

Ujaal [ujAl] and Amcher [aMXer], the Hindi words for light and shadow. They brought shadow and light, night and day, and all such balances – and the illusion of them. Light distracts or dazzles while shadow conceals and misconstrues. They also represent minor active destruction (Ujaal) and decay (Amcher – passive destruction).

Ujaal and Amcher are the sun and moon.

_**Uruisg, God of Water**_

_Proud Uruisg... rained his will upon the land..._

Uruisg (Gaelic for 'water-god') is proud – he meets challenges with force and with patience. Water wears everything down, eventually. Din's rival, he rages at her mountains.

Like with Dekan, he diminished, leaving a legacy of lesser gods: Jabu-Jabu the River God, Jabun the Harbour God, the Turtle the Seafarers God, Oshus the Ocean King, and Linn-Bruadar (Gaelic for 'dreamer') the Dreamer on the Seas. They are all notably calmer than their father.

_**Pehtey, Goddess of Earth**_

_Pehtey... humble in heart, gathered to her the rich soils..._

Semi-agricultural deity, semi-mountain goddess. Where Din is anger, Pehtey is calm and patience – the slow rise and fall of mountains and the cultivation of soils.

Pehtey gave her spirit to the world and her body became a temple – later the home of some Earth and Spirit Sages.

_**Hayet, Goddess of Energy**_

_Hayet... in her joy set the world in motion..._

Hayet (Arabic for 'life') is goddess of motion and discord – her joy is in frenetic action. Neither a malevolent nor peaceable goddess, when the time came to either diminish or leave, she relinquished some power and walked the world immortal. She's made a nuisance of herself ever since.

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o

_**TITULAR GODS:**_

_**The Lady/The Lord of the Hourglass, Time**_

_Nine gods, the children of Time, descended upon their sire's enemy and overcame Chaos to make the world anew..._

Time is an entity, aware of all within its borders. Time is Order, even when that Order is rearranged – Chaos is ergo its enemy. It is unknown if Time is male or female or neither, but as a god is most commonly referred to as The Lady.

_**Mawt, God of Chaos**_

_But their world had come from Chaos, and Mawt, its lord, ever desired his dominion returned..._

Mawt (Arabic for 'death' a pair to Hayet) is the god of Chaos, Darkness, violent death and destruction. Mawt desires the return of his realm, but well ordered things are most easily destroyed if they are unsettled within – not acted on from without, so Mawt often tries to sneak into the world. He is known most commonly to mortals as Ganon.

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o

_**In the Beginning...**_

_Nine gods, the children of Time, descended upon their sire's enemy and overcame Chaos to make the world anew..._

_Fierce Din... with her strong flaming arms forged the red earth..._

_Proud Uruisg... rained his will upon the land..._

_Kind Pehtey... humble in heart, gathered to her the thick soils..._

_Wise Nayru... poured her wisdom into the land and gave to it the spirit of law..._

_August Dekan... from his great boughs created all things which grow..._

_Beloved Farore... with her rich soul breathed life into the land..._

_Twins Ujaal and Amcher... gave the passing of days and their trickster ways..._

_Wily Hayet... in her joy set the world in motion..._

_This done each god fashioned its own chosen peoples, taught and guided them that they might stand alone and pound, and the gods knew joy at their success..._

_Their work complete, the three sisters Din, Farore and Nayru, departed from the world..._

_Their siblings remained to watch over and guide their children..._

_But their world had come from Chaos, and Mawt, its lord, ever desired his dominion returned..._

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o

And so was born Hyrule.

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o

_Next up, Of Lesser Gods, a list_


	6. IVi Of Lesser Gods

**Edited 3-3-2013**

**Of Gods:**

**Lesser Gods (A List)**

_Not the creator gods, but these guys still have punch. Note that I am treating Majora's Mask deities as Hyrulian ones – billed as either from other worlds or a land far away. Many of these are part of my head-canon._

**SHADOW AND LIGHT**

**Ceilear** (Dawn, Dusk)

Ceilear [Gaelic 'dawn'] is the daughter of Ujaal, and the goddess of twilight: both Dawn and Dusk. She may be the primary god of the Twilit Realm.

**LIFE AND DEATH**

**Preta**

Preta is Hyrule's equivalent of the boatman or Saint Peter – she receives the souls of the departed and sends them to their appropriate destination, whether it be the afterlife, reincarnation, or destruction. It is unknown if she is an avatar of or the daughter of Farore, but there is a very strong association.

**WATER GODS**

The sons of Uruisg.

**Jabu-Jabu**

Lord Jabu is the protector deity of inland waterways – rivers, streams, rain, and headwaters. He is the patron of freshwater Zora, and takes the form of a large grey whale.

**Jabun **(Sea Spirit)

Jabun is the god of harbours, and protector of islands and coasts. He is the patron of the sea-dwelling Zora, and appears as a great blue whale.

**Linn-Bruadar** (Wind Fish, Dreamer on the Seas, Levias)

Linn-Bruadar takes the form for a great winged whale, a bringer of rain. He travels the world by both land and sea, and acts as a protector spirit for wayward travelers, sealing them in his dream worlds until the time comes to wake and be rescued.

**Oshus** (Ocean King)

Oshus, Uruisg's eldest, is the Ocean King, lord of all great seas. He is an unpredictable god, prone to acts of great cruelty in one breath, and great kindness in the next. He is worshipped by sailors and islanders, but patron to none.

Oshus, like Linn-Bruadar, occasionally dreams other worlds, but is a world dreamed by a god truly a dream?

**Turtle **(Lord of Calm Water)

The Turtle is the patron god of seafaring travellers, maintaining safe passage in even the stormiest seas.

**FIRE**

**Fire Dancers**

Spirits of fire, the Fire Dancers are omens of wild fires, war, and eruptions.

**The Mountain Goddesses (**Daughters of Din)

Every mountain has its spirit and character. The Mountain Goddesses are the strongest of these, hailing from volcanoes.

**EARTH**

**Goddess of Sand**

She is an unnamed goddess whose dominion is the desert. She is the matron goddess of the Gerudo. She is highly protective of her charges and her secrets and may be the spirit of Pehtey.

**TREES OF LIFE**

The descendants of Dekan, the Deku, Maku and Bagu Trees carry the memories of all their ancestors. Once they are no longer saplings and until they grow too old they are capable of 'uprooting' themselves and travelling.

**Bagu**

Descendants of Dekan, the Bagu Trees are malevolent gods of the forest – those who jealously guard their woods and turn harsh and spiteful measures against interlopers. They maintain the Lost Woods.

**Deku**

The Deku Trees, Dekan's most powerful descendants, are the Forest Guardians and the guardians of Dekan's people, the Kokiri and the Koroks* to whom the Great Deku serves a fatherly/grandfatherly role. The Dekus are peaceful.

*Yes, it's hinted they are the same, but it seems odd that the Kokiri would change _that_ much. Maybe they didn't survive the flood, but the Koroks – being wood and better at hiding themselves (and thus never before seen) – could float and survived even if they didn't make it to the mountains. The Koroks could well be young Deku or Maku.

**Maku**

Many lands have at least one guardian Maku tree. The Makus serve as living memories to the lands they live in and protector spirits to those who dwell on those lands.

**WIND SPIRITS**

**Cyclos**

God of storm winds and younger brother of Zephos. He takes the form of a large red frog that travels in storm clouds.

**Valoo** (Sky Spirit)

A great dragon, Valoo is the guardian of the skies and of the Rito peoples, to whom he grants wings when they come of age.

**Zephos**

God of the four winds and elder brother of Cyclos. He takes the form of a large pale blue frog that travels on clouds.

**PROTECTOR DEITIES**

**Castor**

A spirit of the land, Castor protects the Castor wilds in the form of a beaver.

**Eldin**

A Great Spirit of the earth and guardian of the plains of Eldin, from which his name comes. Eldin favours those with knowledge, and takes the form of a great bird of prey when he appears.

**Faron**

A Great Spirit of the earth and guardian of the forests of Faron, Faron favours those with wit, and takes the form of a large common long-tailed monkey.

**Firone, Warden of the Woods, the Water Dragon**

The dragon deity appointed by Hylia to guard the Faron region in her absence. She is also the patron of the Parella. (Name is the Japanses transliteration as there is another Faron.)

**Four Giants **(Mountain, Valley, Swamp, Ocean)

The guardian deities of the land of Termina, which is connected to Hyrule – although connected by gate to another realm or just a distant part of the same world is uncertain. The Four Giants each watch a corner of their country, and represent the four cardinal directions – North, East, South and West – which sometimes serve as their names. They were once very active, but now sleep much of the time. They will come if called in times of need.

**Hylia**

The mortal goddess – Hylia is the embodiment of Hyrule, daughter of Din, Farore and Nayru. Early in Hyrule's history Hylia surrendered her immortality in order to make use of her mothers' relic, the Triforce. It is believed that she has been reincarnated several times throughout Hyrule's history. Like the Golden Three she has an affinity for time, and may be able to appoint Heroes.

**Lanayru**

A Great Spirit of the earth and guardian of Lanayru Plains around Lake Hylia and the smaller lakes there, Lanayru favours bravery, tempered but caution. He takes the form of a sea serpent.

**Lanayru, w of the w**

The dragon deity appointed by Hylia to guard the Lanayru region.

**Ordona**

A Great Spirit of the earth, and guardian of the Ordon Highlands, Ordona favours those who are kind and determined, and takes the form of an Ordon goat.

**Orudin, the Fire Dragon **

The dragon deity appointed by Hylia to guard the Eldin region. (Orudin is a transliteration of the Japanese name as an Eldin province protector named Eldin was already extant.)

**The Owl**

The Spirit of the Wind Fish, his avatar within the dream worlds.

**The Thunder Dragon, Ranelle**

The dragon deity appointed by Hylia to guard the Lanayru region. (Ranelle is the German name.)

**CHAOS**

**Bellum**

A sea demon in the form of a hideous squid, Bellum is the nemesis of the Ocean King Oshus. He hunts those the King favours and haunts the realms of Oshus' dreams.

**Demise**

A great god of terror and destruction, Demise is the nemesis of Her Grace. The Heroic Cycles may have originated with his curse, but may have also pre-existed.

**Ganon**

The Boar God of Chaos, Ganon is an avatar of Mawt who frequently breaks into the living realms, causing death and destruction. He often uses pawns to help him re-enter Hyrule.

**Majora**

A mad spirit of Spite born of another world, Majora craves bringing destruction to all he passes. He was sealed inside of a mask at some point in the past.

**Nightmare**

A malevolent spirit and brother of Bellum, Nightmare serves Mawt by plaguing the dreams of gods and mortals alike. He often plagues the dreams of Linn-Bruadar, being to the Wind Fish's dreams what Mawt is to the waking world.

**Shadow of the Brightest Light **(the Shadow)

A being, born of the Dark Mirror, that takes the shape of one of the strongest mortal or semi-mortal beings of light in the region. This has led to the legends of the Hero's Shadow, as the Heroes, Sages and Royals are usually the most powerful Light-dwellers.

**Vaati**

Formerly a Minish (Picori) Wind Sorcerer, Vaati was tempted by Ganon and became his acolyte. He later ascended as a wind demon on the back of Chaos. Now a god of sudden storms, he yearns to tear down the world with his howling winds.

**FAIRIES**

**Butterfly **(Spirit of Kindness)

A Virtue, she is known to confer blessings on those who show generosity

**Dragonfly** (Spirit of Wit)

A Virtue, she blesses those who show sharp wit or wisdom.

**Great Fairies**

Powerful fay beings with the power to confer healing, power, blessings and curses. Great Fairies often have aspects or patron Elder Gods, such as is the case with the Great Fairies of Power, Courage, Wisdom, and Wind.

**Great Fairy of Magic**

Second only to the High Queen of Fairies, the Great Fairy of Magic is an immensely powerful being in her own right, and may in fact be a Fairy Queen.

**Guardian Fairy**

A Sprite dedicated to guarding or guiding a specific individual: most often Kokiri, although mortal children occasionally receive a guardian. A Sprite may give odd bits of advice (always to be heeded) to adults, but cannot or will not adopt one.

**High Queen of Fairies**

Tremendously powerful, she is believed by some to be the personification of Fortune or the Fates, the High Queen of Fairies takes three forms: a beautiful young woman or child, a regal woman, or an old crone. Those who manage to find her, or more likely, stumble across her, will meet their fortunes whether good or ill. She has been known to favour the Great Heroes. All other fairies answer to her. If she has a name, she has yet to part with it.

**Mayfly **(Spirit of Truth)

A Virtue, she gives blessings to those who show honesty.

**Selki **(Queen of the Seas)

A lesser Fairy Queen, Selki is the most powerful of the sea born fairies, and thought to be the wife of Oshus.

**Venus **(Queen of Happiness)

A fairy queen, Venus appears in springtime as a beautiful maiden. She bestows gifts on those who prove themselves worthy.

**OTHER**

**Fierce Deity**

A god of war, the Fierce Deity was sealed into a mask, his power is feared and revered, used with caution in times of strife.

**Hero of Time**

Said to be a disciple of Time, the Hero of Time and Masks may have ascended on his own power, or that of the Fierce Deity, or by the force of belief in him from generations of mortals – both before and after his time. He is the model Hero all after him strive to follow.

**Hero's Shade **(Golden Wolf)

The spirit of an old Hero, he carries regret, although why for, no one knows. Did he fail in some task, or leave something undone? Or does he watch over his descendants, or wish to atone for a long forgotten misdeed? None know: he has never been known to speak. He is thought to travel the realms of Hyrule as a one-eyed wolf, warning of danger and guiding lost travellers in far off places.

**Kaepora Gaebora**

Said to be the reincarnation of an ancient, now ascended sage, the great horned owl Kaepora Gaebora is a protector of children and guide to travellers. He is known to favour Heroes, and for vanity – it is said as a mortal he was either a singer, public speaker, or a teacher: whichever is the case he seems to love the sound of his own voice.

**Phi** or **Fi**

A half forgotten spirit, little is known of Phi, only that she does have influence on mortal affairs. Some say she is the spirit of the Master Sword, who chooses those worthy of the blade. Others say she once resided in the sword but after growing powerful locked Demise away with herself in eternal combat, never to harm the world again.

**Sacred Beast **(The Wolf)

Believed to be the Hero of Twilight, who must have ascended in order to have slain the avatar of Mawt, the Sacred Beast is a protector of animals and travellers, a patron to subsequent heroes, and, oddly enough, haberdashers. He is associated with the Golden Wolf, who is said to be his ancestor.

**Spirits of Season**

The personifications and protector deities of the four seasons, the Season Spirits often appear in the wilds of Holodrum. They resemble fairies, and occasionally deign to answer to the High Queen, but are not in fact Fay.

oO0Oo o0O0o oO0Oo

_Next up, Of Ganon_


	7. IVii Of Ganon

**Edited 3-3-2013**

**Of Gods:**

**Ganon**

_I've mentioned that I think Ganon does not equal Ganondorf, and this is why..._

oO0Oo o0O0o oO0Oo

**Ganon**

The Boar God of Chaos, King of Darkness, and Dark Lord, Ganon is an aspect/avatar of Mawt who frequently breaks into the gods' realms, causing death and destruction. He often uses pawns to help him re-enter Hyrule.

oO0Oo o0O0o oO0Oo

Okay, so first, the history of Ganon and Ganondorf, as crib noted from canon.

oO0Oo o0O0o oO0Oo

**ADULT:**_ __1; SS; _2; MC; [FS; **FSa**;] **OoT**; **ALttP**; [**LoZ**; **ZII**]

FSa –

**Ganondorf** the nomad (no longer Gerudo due to lawbreaking) is **mentioned**, and though he **does not appear** he is reported to hare off into the desert after some item of power releasing **Ganon**.** Ganon** **is** **sealed in the Four Sword** (recently vacated by the now vanquished Vaati.)

OoT –

Ganondorf sneaks into the Sacred Realm to try and steal the Triforce. He touches it creating the Dark Realm but can only keep Power. At some point (then or later is uncertain) he become able to change his form to a boar-like creature, Ganon. **Ganon (-dorf) is banished** to the dark realm by the Hero and Sages.

ALttP –

The back story says Ganondorf was the first to enter the sacred realm, killed his minions and touched the Triforce, turning the Sacred Realm Dark and him into a boar (debatably a demon or god). He was locked away by the sages. Basically Ocarina of Time. **Ganon** eventually **a**, creates an avatar (indicating god hood) or **b**, gains a follower (god or demon) the wizard Agahnim and escapes. Agahnim is eventually killed and Ganon rises from his body. **Ganon is killed**.

LoZ and ZII –

The back story again says Ganon was once a man, now boar. He either regained or never lost the Triforce of Power, and appears as **Ganon**. He **is killed**. (And resurrected as Ganon if ZII is lost).

**CHILD**:___1; SS; _2; MC; [FS; FSa;] [OoT; MM;] ([OoS; OoA;]) TP

FSa –

**Ganondorf** the nomad (no longer Gerudo due to lawbreaking) is **mentioned**, and though he **does not appear** he is reported to hare off into the desert after some item of power releasing **Ganon**.** Ganon** **is** **sealed in the Four Sword** (recently vacated by the now vanquished Vaati.)

OoT –

Post adult adventure Ganondorf is mad rather than the calculating bastard from the adult time line. Why? Unknown. This information is from TP back-story. **Ganondorf is banished**.

OoA and OoS –

When the flames of Destruction, Despair and Sorrow were lit, Ganon the mindless, destructive boar demon god was summoned. **Ganon killed**.

TP –

Ganondorf (formerly banished and now considerably saner seeming) tricks a Twili (his follower) into helping him back into Hyrule. He turns into the Mad Boar. **Ganon is overcome by Midna **(off-screen), either banished or dead. Ganondorf remains to overcome Midna. **Ganondorf is killed**.

**DOOMED:** (_3;) [WW; PH;] ST

TWW –

Ganondorf the man reappears – there is a boar puppet, but he himself does not become one, or show any of the Boar's traits. He's just a cold (and regretful) man who thinks he's finally had his day. **Ganondorf is killed**.

oO0Oo o0O0o oO0Oo

K! So let's make a history.

Because people rarely name their children after world destroying evil doers, FSa and OoT Ganondorf are the same man – probably a twenty-something who got himself banished for thinking with the wrong head and doing something stupid and illegal and then a forty-something who had won back his people, become king and was 'negotiating' with the High King of Hyrule at the time of his coup.

Ganon, a god and aspect of the greater Chaos god, had at some point broken into the world. It may be that the young Ganondorf brokered a deal for his passage as a namesake of the God and ready-made acolyte. (This probably involved the saving or sparing of his people somewhere in the deal.) In any case the god came, created the Shadow of the Brightest Light and freed Vaati, now a demon from powers given by Ganon and stolen from the Four Sword, loose. Ganon was quickly sealed into the Four Sword by a Hero.

A war broke out between Hyrule and her neighbours. Ganondorf was allowed back into the Gerudo and regained enough esteem to become the Gerudo King. By the time the war ended and the King of Hyrule was now the High King. Ganondorf negotiated with the King, and as the Gerudo's sacred relic for safe keeping may have received the Four Sword. [Re: Spiritual Stones gifted by the King. The other tribes negotiated for similar terms.] Otherwise he may have been somehow bound to Ganon in the events of FSa.

Once the Sword was in his possession, Ganondorf 'joined' with his god, becoming partially possessed in exchange for power, and staged his coup on the High King, wiping out all but the Princess from that royal family. Since he was unable to attain the Spiritual Stones on his own he could either see if the Kid opened the Door of Time, or now he could break in with his god's backing. Since the Kid did it, he didn't need to break open the Door – a fortunate thing since that would have caused a permanent breach. Hard to seal things you can't shut.

When the Hero of Time eventually overcomes the partly possessed Ganondorf, Ganondorf cedes completely to (or perhaps can no longer hold off) Ganon, in whose control they take the form of the Boar God. Ganondorf/Ganon are defeated and sealed in the Dark World.

In the Dark World Ganon relinquishes control of Ganondorf but keeps him as a servant – now an immortal one, as he has the Triforce of Power and Ganon's influence.*

*Note: Immortals don't die of old age – but they can die. They are also at least partially divine, and thus can only be killed by divine means.

Time forks. Three things remain constant: the Triforce bearers, their state of mortality, and Ganondorf no longer being possessed.

oO0Oo o0O0o oO0Oo

**Child** **Timeline**

The old Sages act – but the one they need to seal is no longer there, something they fail to realise. They capture Ganondorf, driven mad by the sudden tearing from his god that occurred when time turned back, but still immortal and a Triforce bearer. He kills two Sages before they banish him through the Mirror of Twilight, which has not been used in many ages.

The Hero of Time, still the bearer of courage, travels to neighbouring Labrynna and Holodrum to counter other agents of Chaos and followers of Ganon who succeed in summoning the mad god. The Hero kills the incarnation of the god.

Ganon's spirit drifts and eventually comes back to his partly recovered (but now bloodthirsty) servant Ganondorf who is quietly living in the Twilight Realm. Reunited Ganon (-dorf) ensnares a mad and greedy Twili, Zant, and makes him an acolyte, immortal so long as he is connected to a living Ganon. Zant stages a coup against his world's leaders, and opens the way back into Hyrule, pulling Ganon(-dorf) across the worlds with him.

Zant is defeated by a new Hero, the Sacred Beast, who is now the bearer of Courage. The Sacred Beast conquers the Boar, and the Twilight Queen distracts the spirit of Ganon to save the Princess and Hero. Between her and the Hero Ganon is overcome(which is unclear as it happens off-screen). The Sacred Beast kills Ganondorf who the Triforce of Power abandons.

Ganondorf is dead and gone – forever – but Ganon will eventually find a way back.

oO0Oo o0O0o oO0Oo

**Adult Timeline**

Ganon and Ganondorf, now separate, are banished in the Dark World after crossing the Hero of Time and the Sages. Ganondorf's sanity at this point is debated, but he gives the Triforce of Power to his god.

Years pass by and the seal grows weak. Ganon is eventually able to create an avatar, the Sorcerer Agahnim. Agahnim grows in power, entering first the king's council, and then begins supplanting the king. He uses his powers to find the descendants of the Sages who sealed Ganon, and use them to reverse the seal completely. He succeeds but is pursued into the Dark World by a new Hero. Agahnim's defeat at the hands of the Hero releases Ganon's true form. The Hero kills him and claims the full Triforce and uses it to restore the land. The Triforce redivides, Power returning to Ganondorf, Courage to await the next Hero, and Wisdom to the keeping of the Royal families.

An age passes. Ganon takes the Triforce of Power from Ganondorf and escapes the Dark World, leading an army against a much changed Hyrule, only to be killed by a Hero who isn't even Hyrulian. The Hero claims Power from him, already possesses Wisdom, and in the process of dealing with Ganon's worst underlings earns the whole Triforce in trial by fire. He uses it to free an ancient princess.

The Triforce divides again, Power to Ganondorf, Wisdom to the crown, and Courage to lie in wait.

oO0Oo o0O0o oO0Oo

**Doomed**

After OoT, Oracles or anything in the Adult timeline:

Ganon escapes and incarnates again, leaving Power to Ganondorf who escapes quietly in his wake. The Hero either fails or does not appear at all, so at the pleading of the people the Gods seal Hyrule with water rather than have it fall under Chaos. Ganon is defeated but Ganondorf is free – if limited by the still present ancient seal on his power.

Ganondorf eventually becomes a relevant political/renegade power on the seas to ease his search for the rest of the Triforce, which he aims to use to restore Hyrule to its glory. (Under his and his people's rule, of course.) He is at this time unaffiliated with Ganon, who he long since saw the truth of. He is opposed by the descendant of the last Royal house and the Hero of Wind. He uses them to form the Triforce, but the last High King of Hyrule gets the wish: to permanently bury Hyrule – her nemesis with her – and for a new country to be founded.

The Triforce vanishes entirely.

Ganondorf, now mortal, is killed by the Hero of Winds.

Ganon remains buried in the ruins of the old world.

oO0Oo o0O0o oO0Oo

_Does thus end the Boar? May Hyrule never need know._


	8. V Calendar

**Calendar Girls:**

**Dates etc**

_Different places have different systems – not surprising, but I needed to take a moment to put this to paper (or pixels... whatever.) As it stands, this section is done now only because _The Lieutenant_ (forthcoming) opens with a date. And it made me finish Of Gods, which made me finish/edit Magic._

**YEARS**

Hyrule has several year systems.

Local calendars run by the years of a monarchs reign OR by who the current sages are. (The Gorons will reckon by the Fire sage – this is more constant measure since sages tend to life very long lives.)

_Examples_.

Year three of the rule of Zelda XXIV;

3rd year under Zelda XXIV;

_or_ 3ZLD24 _for shorthand. _

Some names must be writ in full, and the same form is used for sages, with 'rule' or 'reign' replaced with 'watch,' 'purview,' or something similar. The sages watch, guard, lead, protect... These forms are constant across Hyrule.

There is also a system that claims to count back to creation. The actual year is disputed, but the practical date is standard. (Authors: Use arbitrary numbers.)

The celestial calendar is inclusive in all calendars – some years will be recognised as heavily in the influence of a certain god and will be called the Year of Din/Uruisg/etc accordingly in all calendars.

**MONTHS**

The Hylian year has eleven months – ostensibly accounting for the elements, although Time is replaced by Ice. The months follow the lunar cycle - there are two cycles (eighteen days each) per month, with the last night of the month being a full moon.

The months, beginning with the Harvest month, are named after the old gods.

[Language peeps: the names of months end in the feminine 'a'. Elides with vowels, long '-aa' after a dental except after 'n' when it becomes '-ya', and palatals reduplicate.]

**Month **[aspect] Characterised by _

**Hayetaa **[Energy] Growth returns. The planting begins in most areas

**Dekanya **[Life] The first lush month of the year

**Uruisgga **[Water] Month of storms

**Ujaalaa **[Light] Brightest month, midsummer is at the end of the month

**Dinya **[Fire] Hottest and driest month of the year, forest and grass fires

**Pehteya **[Earth] Month of the early harvest

**Pretaa **[Spirit] Late harvests, spirit world nears

**Mawtaa **[Death] Late fall, early winter, month of rot

**Amcherra **[Shadow] Darkest month of the year

**Nairnya **[Ice] The calm brittle cold of winter in most regions

**Farorae **[Air] Late winter – warm air from the south

**DAYS**

396 days in a year, thirty-six days in a month, two eighteen day lunar cycles, four nine day weeks.

_**Week Days:**_

_Weekdays are named for the parts of the Legends._

[Language header: '-an' is the suffix indicating weeks, although many of these are Hylian words in their own rights. These are borrowed from Welsh, Gaelic, Norman, Punjabi, and Sanskrit]

**Day** [Hylian word] Meaning (_additional names_) Day used to _

**Ayeran** [Ayer] Day of the Heir (_the Lady's Day, Princess's Day_) Coronations & appointing officials. Half day for work.

**Torman **[Tormod] Day of Courage; Week's first full day of work, auspicious to begin endeavours

**Gwidan **[Gwido] Day of Guidance; Auspicious to petition the gods

**Nitiman** [Nitima] Day of Wisdom; Auspicious for making choices

**Rajan** [Rajan] King's Day; Frequently a festival day

**Azan** [Azan] Day of Strength; Auspicious for contests

**Sibhan** [Sibhan] Day of Gods; To honour the spirits

**Amitan** [Amita] Day of Truth; Auspicious for receiving answers, completing work

**Anluan** [Anluan] Hero's Day (_Day of rest_)

The days are ordered specifically. Each week inherits from the last – Heirs Day. We begin every great endeavour with courage – and then seek guidance. With guidance [Gwidan – gwido – (a) guide] comes learning and wisdom – something a good leader needs to rule, and the attaining of wisdom is celebrated. With courage and wisdom we grow strong. With all three we become worthy of the gods. At the end of things we come to truth and the results of our labour. The last day, rest, is what the toiling soul has earned.

Or such was my logic at midnight.

**Miscellaneous other days:**

**Red Moon** – the eighteenth of the month. Night of memory. (Honour past wars, lost souls...)

**Blood Moon **– a Red Moon of note.

**Blue Moon** – the last day of the month. (36th) Night of Peace.

**New Moon** – Inauspicious nights.

**DATES**

Months begin on the first (Day after the Blue Moon) and count forwards to the last day, the 36th (Blue Moon).

There are two ways of telling the date.

Numerical date, which looks like:

The 17th of Dinya, 3ZLDXXIV (6398 FC)

Or by week:

2nd Amitan of Dinya, 3rd Year of Q. Zelda XXIV's rule (54120 F.C.)

The date by week is the formal date, using all culturally relevant pieces (because you know Hyruleans are all about their legends.) So the week is numbered (1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th), the day of the week given followed by the month, and then either the ruler (sage's) year, or the Year of the God (when applicable), or the years from of chaos. (or From Creation)

**HOURS**

The day begins at dawn and goes until the next dawn.

_Before Clockworks:_

A day begins at dawn and is measured in: hand spans (time the sun or moon take to cross the distance of a hand held up against the sky – three spans to mid day, a span since dawn, etc) or turns for the glass (variable by hourglass, but each is very precise in its own time. Someone manning a bell tower will ring the turns) or by water clock (like hourglasses have variable time – look up Greek or Roman water clocks).

_Clock Time:_

Hyrule has long since possessed clockworks, and has made full advantage. The day has twenty hours from dawn to dawn. Sunset till dawn is divided into four watches, varying in length by time of year. Most clock towers only ring in the first ten hours of the day, while the watches are done manually. At night, talk about how long it is until the X watch.

o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o_o


	9. VI Races

_**Edited:**_** 31-03-2014. **Updated a few, especially Gorons and Zoras which have concept art on my deviantart, (at which point I'll remind people that this is well into head-canon territory) and added Kikwi and Parella.

Goron Concept: serendipitous-way dot deviantart dot com/art/Gorons-Re-imagined-444091731

Zora Concept: serendipitous-way dot deviantart dot com/art/Zora-concept-442979924

_Appendix VI_

**Is your mama a Zora?**

**Races**

_This started as a page long list – now it's a 24 page behemoth_._ And this the basics._

_Tried, for a bit, to keep it PC. Not sure if I really succeeded or care. PC is boring._

What makes a 'race' anyway?

Is it a language? Customs? A variance in skin tone? A different species of a genus or a different class (zoology: classes are reptiles, mammals...) entirely? In Hyrule it seems to be used interchangeably in reference to tribes, (specific cultural group) people, (general cultural group or nation) species, (distinct biological entities within a class) and class, (group of living organisms with the same base features [eggs, joint-type, type of eyes, basic skeletal components, etc] and descending from a common ancestor) so what gives?

Many in game people talk about this tribe, that people, and race X – all of which refer to the same group, such as the Goron, Zora, and Hylians (distinct species), as well as the Sheikah (an Hylian subgroup, presumably). Kokiri, a distinct humanoid species – forest spirits really – is not called a race, just people. The Gerudo (a debatably Human or Hylian group) is usually called a tribe, when not simply called thieves. (And so here we have racism – making them less than people.)

So again, I ask, what gives?

A race generally seems to be tied to species, although nation (the Goron people, the Canadian people, Ankh-Morporkian*) seems to be a lesser component – so possibly a species which has formed a nation, or more specifically, a culture.

*[Terry Pratchett's Diskworld :D]

So...

Race: (n.) Species with recognizable culture or cultures.

People: (n.) _a people_, a population or persons comprising a community, polis, state, nation, etc.; a collection of people adhering to a single set of laws or under a unified ruling body.

Tribe: (n.) A distinct cultural group within a race; a group of a race with certain general characteristics, and may or may not exist within a larger People. [Culture and ethnicity]

Giving Hylians, the Hylian peoples, a Hyrulian Tribe. The Gerudo People, Gerudo Tribe. The Sheikah (people), a Sheikah tribe. Gorons, Goron Peoples, a Goron tribe. Zora, the Zora peoples, a Zora tribe, the Zola. [La la la...]

That these people are mostly open with each other giving each other rights and trading seems almost warm and fuzzy until you remember the Gerudo are barely recognized, the Sheikah may have gotten wiped out, the Gorons might deign to brush dust on to you if you're a stranger but never seem to accept outside help unless it's forced upon them, (and getting 'brother' status is _hard_,) the Zora are haughty and remote rarely leaving their realms, and the Hyrulians often relegate all non-Hylians to back corners when others come to their cities. Not exactly a utopia.

And then we need to note the race/people/tribe definitions: these peoples aren't the only ones in the game – and some are never actually called tribes or races, even though they must fit the criteria for them being intelligent to have trade, fashion cloths and weapons, and wield said weapons, and in these things in those other races we see common factors, indicators of cultural norms.

Now admittedly some of these races aren't as advanced as others. Some, looking from a modern lens, are frankly rather barbaric but that should hardly disqualify them from recognition. The Assyrians of the BC age were bloodthirsty bastards too at times, having been rather war-like, but still very definitely a large an significant cultural group as well as a couple of empires.

So here is a list of all identifiable tribes of Hyrule I could find, with substantial leaning on ZeldaWiki. [As much as I don't need an excuse to play, analysis while playing is _dull_. Play for fun, damnit.] Otherwise, memory and minor manga are my sources.

_['Class' is used only for the unusual: Mammal, angiosperm (flowering plant), etc. Just a general thing below here. Settlements and culture notes are generalizations, leaning towards TP era.]_

_There are 22+ races, many of which have notable tribes, which I've listed, and I might have missed one._

* * *

**BLIN**

_Did you expect these? They can talk, plan, they wield weapons, can presumably make said weapons and other tools, and have cloths, even if shabby, which come in common styles. This seems to indicate cultures, even if they are debatably primitive ones. They may just be marginalized._

_There are a couple varieties of Blin in Zelda – they are the primary common enemy you face in just about every game. But actually looking at the various varieties of Blin one realises that they are two separate __geni __(that's proper Latin folks! – not genus's) if they are even that closely related: the other is the dog-like moblins I'll call 'Burin'. The Blin are actually dividing into separate species due to the long separation of the tribes and breeding, a process that may have completed in some groups. All Blin have very fine short fur. All Blin serve the Warlord, usually a Bulblin warrior. _

**Bokoblin**

_Found_: Anywhere

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Nomadic – travel solitary or in bands

_Build_: Tall and wiry

_Fur_: Red, green, purple, and blue fur.

_Eyes_: Green, yellow or white with black whites

_Hair_: May have white or grey hair on top of the head in addition to fur.

_Other_: Bokoblin are a Blin of average size which often has tusks and horns, and which has long pointed ears similar to a Hylian's. They have occasionally been used as cheap mercenaries, but are usually bandits. When not under contract, however, they are rarely found in large groups, and are primarily nomadic. They make simple wares, but usually take their tools from others.

**Bulblin**

_Found_: Anywhere

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Nomadic; occupy permanent sites only in times of crisis, preferring desert regions.

_Build_: Large, long limbed. Usually wiry, but grow broad and muscular with age

_Fur_: green fur

_Eyes_: red, green, yellow; whites of the eyes are usually black

_Hair_: White, grey, none on top of the head

_Other_:A race of warriors and the most intelligent of the Blin family, Bulblin have small piggish snouts, small floppy ears, small tusks from the lower jaw, and a horn growing from each side of the head. They tend to be larger than Hylians and humans. Moblin are generally considered to be brutish and stupid, but some have been known to become writers and great war leaders – bespeaking a higher than assumed intelligence, and showing the observers prejudice. They are oft maligned as they have been recorded to have supported the Dark One in the past, although how quickly they have changed sides suggests mere opportunity. Throughout history the Bulblin forces, en mass, have been known as the Hoard, led by the Warlord.

**Goblin (Miniblin)**

_Because you know that's what they're based on. Miniblin feels like a slang term – probably insulting, but do they care?_

_Found_: Various isolated areas, originating from the Belt Archipelago

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Small rough villages, usually built into natural features, preferring caves

_Build_: Short, wiry, disproportionately large head, four-toed hoofs, and a short fluffy tail

_Fur_: Red, green, blue and brown fur, with grey markings on the head and lower body

_Eyes_: Yellow with green whites

_Other_: A smaller (possibly pygmy) variety of Blin, Goblins, more commonly known as Miniblin, are the least intelligent but most sociable of the Blin. They are sometimes believed to have been created from the Dark Realms, but have long been in Hyrule. They are cunning hunters, very quick and use guerrilla tactics. Their social nature, combined with their preference of having fixed dwellings and their lack of intellect suggest that Miniblin may be a diminished race – once far more intelligent than they now are.

**Moblin**

_Found_: Marsh and forested lands

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Maintain rough, seasonal camps

_Build_: thickset, large head, barrel chest, cloven feet

_Fur_: dark red to purple, blue, and grey fur

_Eyes_: Green

_Other_: Moblin, somewhat more excitable than their Bulblin cousins, are simpler than, larger than and more piggish in appearance than the Bulblin. They have wide snouts and mouths, as well as cloven feet on articulated* legs. They operate as grunts for hire, but work more for the opportunity for doing damage without repercussion than for money.

*[Is this an even vaguely correct term? Double-pulley ankles? Something? I'm a classicist, not a biologist...]

**Taurus**

_Found_: Dark Realm

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: DNE

_Build_: Tall, broad, muscled, and cloven foot

_Fur_: Blue, grey, and red to purple

_Eyes_: White

_Other_: A horned Blin originating in the Dark World, they do not exist naturally. They tend to have longer features – narrow faces and long arms for their bodies, as well as different coloured fur. Those under Ganon's influence tend to be a dark red to purple. Blue can show an affinity for Wind. Grey Tauri tend to be from shadow and light realms other than Hyrule.

* * *

**BURIN**

_The 'other Blin.' Formerly known as Moblin, '-burin' looks to be the transliterated Japanese version of '-Blin.' These are the ones that look puggish._

_Found_: Veil valleys and Steppe. Rumoured in the Woodland Realm.

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Remote fortified towns

_Build_: Tall, broad, heavily muscled, canine attributes

_Skin_: Brown, grey and tan pelt.

_Eyes_: Brown, (sometimes) yellow

_Hair_: fur

_Other_: Burin are a fairly advanced culture, but isolationist, territorial, and generally hostile to all who are not Burin, which has led to them being labelled barbarians. They are in truth very proficient craftsmen and highly intellectual – more so than the Bulblin, who tend to be thought of as the more intelligent. Their weapons crafting is nigh unmatched. Some tribes of Burin, mistakenly called Moblin, in Hyrule's forests have been known to be orange, and grow to especially Cyclopean* size. The existence of this tribe is debated.

Burin are led by the Alpha, often equated to a Duke or minor King.

*[Cyclopean is actually a term used by the ancient Greeks to refer to Mycenaean construction, since they had no cultural memory of that predecessor to them. To them such F*ing HUGE, well crafted walls could have only been made by the gigantic Cyclops. Similarly, Burin don't build much, but when they do they go big. This is referring to the pug-face guards in the Sacred Grove in OoT.]

* * *

**DAIRA (Zâzaku)**

_Found_: Veil Mountains' river valleys

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Nomadic, seasonal settlements

_Build_: Large, broad bipedal alligator

_Skin_: Scales; yellows, oranges, browns

_Eyes_: Amber

_Hair_: Orange-brown fringe

_Other_: Race of bipedal alligators found in caves and in the Veil Mountains. Hostile to outsiders and each other, they are known to be experts with axes, usually traded from the Burin for game. A relatively primitive tribe, unlikely to advance farther due to their solitary habits.

* * *

**DEKU SCRUB**

_Found_: Forest and marshland (flowering); tropics (cycads)

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Small, dense, heavily planned settlements.

_Class_: Angiosperm (Flowering) or Cycads (seed plant)

_Build_: Small, somewhat shrubbish in appearance – like a short knotted trunk. Bipedal. As they are essentially animate plants, they are also very light, although Cycads tend to be denser.

_Skin_: Bark

_Eyes_: Brown, Black, Orange

_Hair_: Various leafy (Can bloom at will)

_Other_: Not part of the divine Deku Trees, although they were likely a creation of Dekan's. Some tribes are known to be hostile, such as those who inhabit the Lost Woods, although this may be because they are charged with guarding sacred places. Most are very friendly, and often take to business, though excited shrubs have been known to accidentally shoot customers. The Deku Scrubs of Hyrule are few outside the woods, however, and so are rarely seen. The Shrubs of Terminia control a small northern kingdom. Flowering scrubs glide using their blooms and shoot bubbles rather than seeds.

* * *

**FAIRY**

As spirits they aren't technically a race, but there are several types of Fairy, all united by several traits, and the young ones tend to be social. All are magical; all can fly by either magic or wings; all are beautiful. They possess many magical abilities, the most common of which are healing and sight. Young fairies are flighty and often tricksters, while older fairies are known to be very knowledgeable due to longevity, sight, and connection to the divine.

**Great Fairy**

_Found_: Springs on Holy Ground (Fairy Fountain)

_Build_: Humanoid; may be winged (Butterfly or bird type) or have multiple arms. Human sized and larger.

_Skin_: Human or jewel tone, or black (black skinned fairies are often thought to have very darkly coloured skin, but this is an illusion caused by their auras)

_Eyes_: Any, but usually primary or secondary, or glassy.

_Hair_: Same as eye color

_Other_: Great Fairies are known to exceedingly powerful. They are often the guardians of regions and can come to be worshiped as minor deities. The Fairy Queens, the most powerful fairies, are believed to actually be minor gods (Great Spirits). The most powerful fairies are said to have eyes the colour of old glass, shining with a multicoloured patina. These fairies are thought to be favoured by the Golden Gods and the Old Ones, a theory supported by their tendency to teach mortals the deep magic of those gods.

**Guardian Fairy**

_Found_: Woodland Realm (usu.)

_Build_: A diminutive, slender, glowing. 'Dragonfly' type wings.

_Skin_: Human tones

_Eyes_: Black

_Hair_: Variable

_Other_: Guardian fairies are tiny fairies who attach themselves to children, Kokiri, Koroks, other forest guardians, or the pure of heart, such as some Heroes. Some very powerful guardian fairies will not attach to an individual, but to a community, or even become a guardian of an element – one who maintains the natural order, a Spirit. Guardian fairies appear to change color as their attention shifts to different tasks or as they use different kinds of magic, but their changes are in their aura alone.

**Sprite**

_Found_: Minor sites of power and tend to gravitate to Fairy Fountains

_Build_: A diminutive, slender, glowing fairy. 'Dragonfly' type wings

_Skin_: Pale

_Eyes_: Varies to match dominant magic. (Red for fire, green forest, yellow energy...)

_Hair_: Varies to match dominant magic. (Blue for water, purple spirit, white air...)

_Other_: Sprites are unattached fairies of minor power who possess only one kind of magical ability. The most commonly seen is a healer or 'helper' fairy, which glows pink.

* * *

**FISHMAN**

_Found_: Salt water seas

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Nomadic

_Build_: Large fish with prehensile fins

_Skin_: Blue scales, pale blue swirl patterns, orange fins

_Eyes_: Yellow with red whites

_Other_: An intelligent race of fish who have been known to barter information for food. They are surprisingly artistic, but as they do not maintain settlements, their hobbies go underappreciated.

* * *

**FOMOR**

_Non-Canon, but resemble the Four Swords Adventure Vaati and others somewhat, so I'll run with the wiki. The Death Sword might be called a fomor... maybe. Technically a spirit, like fairies._

_Found_: Magically tainted areas, condemned areas

_Class_: Demon [Magical Being]

_Other_: They are malevolent and solitary, and spawned from a dark realm. A wind, fire, and shadow demons. Fomor are corruptions of life: the Fomor Vaati, the storm demon, was once a Minish.

* * *

**GORON**

_Gorons gave me grief – they are one of the peoples who demand the question: seriously, wtf? They are rock people – look like rock, made of rock, eat rock... but they are also alive, without being overtly magical. So I fudged it._

_**31-03-2014**__: Did you know that trilobites had quartz eyes? It gave me ideas. Of course, now my Gorons look like nightmare creatures, but they were a bit too anthropomorphic anyways. But the only thing that "eats" rock is fungus/bacteria… so trilobite-pill-bug-golem thing._

_Found_: Mountains, (Mount Crenel, Goron Hills, Goron Mountain) ore rich areas

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Medium to large towns and cities, preferring to build in old calderas, mountainsides and dead lava chambers.

_Class_: Self replicating golems?

_Build_: Large and solid. They resemble boulders or simple rather insect-like statues. They are bipedal, with large heads, wide girth, and varying numbers of arms. They boast a stone exoskeleton, a partial (stone) internal skeleton, and hot heavy water flows in the place of blood. Their backs and limbs are covered with mineral plates which interlock and form a solid shell when curled up.

_Skin_: Rock: brown and grey shades of red, orange and yellow

_Eyes_: Dark quartz lens: jet black, dark ruby red, and (rarely) green-blue.

_Hair_: None, though some Goron tribes have been known to cultivate mosses to resemble human and Hylian styles.

_Other_: Contrary to popular belief, Gorons are actually only partially made of rock: their bones are rock, and they are covered by a plated rock shell, resembling chitin. The bulk of their form is clay, threaded with bacteria and funguses which digest their diet of rocks, as well as gather solar energy. Hot rocks, hot spring water and magma are all consumed to maintain body temperature where chemicals and solar energy are insufficient. Gorons do not fare well in cold climates

The minerals produced or rendered down by the water, heat, bacteria, and fungi are carried by the hot water and deposited first to repair areas worn down by friction, then to strengthen the shell, and finally to grow. A Goron can theoretically grow indefinitely provided they eat enough. Unusable minerals are deposited in the shell and can sometimes form precious and semi-precious stones that the Gorons later remove and sell. Due to the constant deposition of minerals Gorons change colour over time according to their diets.

The Gorons harvest rocks but mine metals, and are known metalworkers. They can be very clannish, but the 'clan' can be extended to individuals of other clans and species under extraordinary circumstance. When they do so they are very open and friendly, and extend all help they can to a Brother in need. Otherwise they are very suspicious, proud and unyielding. The Goron tribes are each led by a patriarch (sometimes called 'Big Brother') and a council of elders.

* * *

**HUMAN**

There are a number of human tribes.

_Build_: Variable

_Skin_: White, pink, olive, tan, brown, Black

_Eyes_: Brown, black, grey, blue, green, hazel (other colours rare)

_Hair_: Brown, blond, white, black, red, orange

_Other_: Are a race from beyond the veil of the gods – possibly from another world entirely* – and did not exist in great numbers in Hyrule until later times – only around the Hero of Twilight's era do they truly begin to be visible. They are rounded eared, and generally considered to be plainer than the elf-like Hylians. Divine intervention keeps Hyrulian lands out of human hands, but also outer lands in them.

*[_The official artwork in the early games (which are late in the timeline) include Christian symbolism – perhaps a few humans came from our world?_]

**Holodrian (Holly Tribe)**

_Found: _Holodrum

_Settlement Patterns: _Small villages, usually on caravan routes

_Build_: Tall; average build

_Skin_: Tan and brown

_Eyes_: Black, brown, rarely hazel

_Hair_: Light brown to black

_Other_: A human group originating from Holodrum. Once populous and widely travelled peoples, as Holodrum fell from power they pulled in on themselves and diminished. They nevertheless maintain a wide accumulated knowledge and are often known for shamanic abilities. (See Renado: LoZ:TP)

**Labrynnan**

_Found_: Labrynna

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Small to medium towns, orthotic grid layout; farming communities

_Build_: Medium height, slender

_Skin_: Pale, tan, olive

_Eyes_: Blue, (rare) brown

_Hair_: Brown, blue, red, black

_Other_: Labrynna is a populous and prosperous human country. The people are generally very peaceable, and magical abilities are rare, although not unheard of, and tend towards shallow forest and earth magic when they do appear.

**Ordonian**

_Found_: Ordon Highlands

_Settlement Patterns_: Small valley villages, farm communities, few larger towns

_Build_: Short, stocky

_Skin_: Pale, light olive

_Eyes_: Blue, green

_Hair_: Blond, light to medium brown

_Other_: Ordonians are farmers, and very industrious. They are well known for persevering, even in the face of apparent futility, given sufficient reason, although they are usually a very humble, laidback people.

* * *

**HYLIAN**

_For me, separate from 'Humans.' The Hyrulians are the most well known Hylian population/culture. Humans have been known to mistakenly call them elves – a mythological immortal, unearthly race._

_Found_: Hyrule and abroad

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Farming communities, villages towns and cities of various sizes

_Other_: Their most notable feature is their (usually long) pointed ears. Hylians are very magical, and generally favour plains and thinly wooded areas. They are said to be the chosen race of the Golden Goddesses, or at least of their daughter, Hylia. Hylians live anywhere from forty to two hundred years.

**The Gerudo People:**

_Canonically, the Gerudo are a human race of women. However, due to the fact there are no other humans in Hyrule at their earliest appearance, Ganondorf having pointed if short ears in some incarnations, and that the Gerudo can have children with Hyrulians, I claim creative license call them a Hylian tribe._

_Found: _The Great Desert, Ghost Mountains and abroad

_Settlement Patterns: _Small to large clustered towns around fortresses on riverbanks, and in oases and fjords.

_Build_: Heavier build than their plains dwelling counterparts. Long, sharper features and strong noses. Tend to be full figured.

_Skin_: dark or tan

_Eyes_: gem coloured eyes (violet and yellow are most common, although bright green, orange and very rarely red appears)

_Hair_: red and orange. No Hylian without Gerudo ancestry has any red or orange in their hair.

_Other_: A desert dwelling, all female tribe of Hylians with a strong connection to spirit and earth. Their ears tend to be shorter and softly pointed: an adaptation to the desert. They are an especially hardy Hylian tribe, and rarely produce males. (This may be due to a rare immune system reaction to the Y-chromosome in some women that causes miscarriages of male foetuses. *It may be that in the Gerudo tribe this is a dominant feature passed from mother to daughter. Alternately, there may be magic involved – especially if the 'one male born every hundred years' thing is not an exaggeration. Whichever, magic probably helps keep the tribes' "Gerudoness" intact.) They are very energetic, with necessarily relaxed morals as their homeland is very harsh, often forcing them to banditry as they have never been able to gather sympathy from other groups – but the phrase 'thieves' honour' applies. The Gerudo Tribe is a meritocracy, under a King when one is available.

* [A real condition in the real world.]

**Ho Ho Tribe**

_Tiny stature and pointy ears – they're Hylian. They are almost always seen travelling – and building castles in the sky._

_Found: _Coastal Areas, Belt Archipelago

_Settlement Patterns_: Scattered small villages; nomadic tendencies

_Build_: Short, slender, deceptively strong.

_Skin_: fair, but tan easily

_Eyes_: Blue, brown

_Hair_: brown

_Other_: Ears are short but sharply pointed. The Ho Ho's are isolationist to the extreme and highly intelligent tribe (and typically rather out of touch with reality as a result). Despite being introverted and clannish, the Ho Ho people are known to be travellers and adventurers, pursuing knowledge around the world. They are usually seafaring, and claim safely in numbers, travel in large groups of egocentric people.

Some groups are however known to abandon their people's introverted ways and become quite friendly as they travel the world.

**Hyrulians**

'_Typical' Hylians – those found in the heartlands of Hyrule._

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Farming communities, villages towns and cities of various sizes

_Build_: tall humanoid. Usually slender but can be heavyset

_Skin_: very fair to tan

_Eyes_: Blue, brown, (rarely) green; other colours occur, but are uncommon

_Hair_: Brown, (sometimes) blond or, (rarely) black or blue or green. Orange indicates Gerudo ancestry.

_Other_: Their most notable feature is their (usually long) pointed ears. Hyrulians generally favour grasslands and thinly wooded areas. The Hyrulians claim to be the chosen tribe of the Golden Goddesses, and tend to be rather stuck up and tightly wound.

**Sault (Lake Lander)**

'_Sault' is an uncommon but plain old English word for waterfall. I've yet to see a tan or dark skinned Hylian (bar the Gerudo), so here we go._

_Found:_ Southern Hyrule (Lakes region, coast)

_Settlement Patterns_: Farming and fishing communities, small villages to large towns. Few fortifications.

_Build_: Tall; average build

Skin: Tan, brown, black

_Eyes_: Brown, blue, (rare) amber

_Hair_: Brown, black, and (rare) blue and white-blond

_Other_: While not uptight as the plainsmen, the Sault peoples tend to be rather cynical. Characterised by a 'hopeful pessimism' in their lives on Hyrule's southern waterways and the Zora Sea, they enjoy life while expecting the worst, which combined with their status as farmers and fishermen has led to them being regarded as superstitious hicks in backwater towns.

**Sheikah:**

_Found_: Veil, Eastern Hills, the Steppe

_Settlement Patterns_: Small to large towns, built out from a main street; partially nomadic

_Build_: Wiry. Below average height.

_Skin_: medium-deep tan (gold-bronze)

_Eyes_: red, orange, purple

_Hair_: pale (any colour), blond is common

_Other_: Tribe of Hylians with strong shadow-light aspects. Sheikah are nimble and naturally stealthy. They are also usually stronger than most Hylians. They tend to be secretive and caught up in prophecy. Much of their way of life is grounded in tradition and the ancestors. They are often nomadic, and follow the leadership of their priests and elders.

**Zuna**

_Since their canon appearance is vague at best, (2D pixelated only and heavily clothed) we can make guesses._ _Physical details cannot be seen in the game or manuals, but Ganondorf's and Twinrova's skin is sometimes shown to be greenish, suggesting a Zuna ancestor as it is the only green skinned and potentially non-scaled or non-furred tribe. Only Lizalfoes, Moblin, and Tokage [below]are green, and would all make poor masseuses. They seem like they might be cactus-deku in game: again unlikely masseuses, and probably wouldn't ever build in stone – and so another Hylian tribe._

_Found_: South-western Great Desert

_Settlement Patterns_: Nomadic, temporary settlements

_Build_: Tall and thin. Very narrow face.

_Skin_: blue, green

_Eyes_: Black

_Hair_: Red, purple, blue

_Other_: Descended from the Pyramid builders, the Zuna are from deep in the Gerudo Desert. They are wanderers, merchants and opportunists. Their primary trades are as desert guides and weavers of fine linens and wools, although their sand-rub healing techniques are very popular in upper-class circles.

* * *

**KIKWI**

_Found_: Woodland Realm, in particular Faron's Woods

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Small haphazard communities in the heart of Deku territories. They are intelligent and communal but not prone to building.

_Build_: Humanoid, vaguely avian. Short limbs with a pear shape body, with a plant bulb on their backs.

Fur: Thin, fearthery fur in pale bronze/tan and black

_Eyes_: White and small

_Other_: Kikwi are unusual and rare, possibly extinct, tribe. They are apparently a bird-plant hybrid. Their bodies resemble a flightless bird with a small black beak and black mask marking around the eyes. Plant growth can be found on their heads, and a bulb grows out of their backs – it is used for camouflage, resembling bushes and flowers when lying down. Kikwi are very shy and childlike.

* * *

**KOKIRI**

_Found_: Woodland Realm

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Small unplanned villages in the hearts of Deku territories

_Build_: Humanoid, childlike

_Skin_: Pale, light tan

_Eyes_: Blue or (rarely) green

_Hair_: Orange to blond to golden-brown

_Other_: Resembling Hylian children, aged three to twelve, the Kokiri are eternal children who live in the Kokiri Woods under the guardianship of the Great Deku Tree. They have very short memories, like the children they resemble, and cannot remember events more than a few years old, although general information is retained longer, sometimes indefinitely depending on its perceived importance. The Kokiri are always accompanied by guardian spirits, who act as parents, sources of information, personal history, and protectors. The Kokiri are guardians of the forest, and have been known to harass travellers and lead them astray. They usually show children the way out of the woods, lest they become Skull Kids.

* * *

**KOROK**

_Found_: Woodland Realm, forests

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: NA Very few Koroks take up residence anywhere, though they live communally

_Class_: Magical Beings [Angiosperm (flowering) and Conifer]

_Build_: resemble very short but thick bipedal tree stumps with leafy growth

_Skin_: Bark

_Eyes_: Black, brown

_Hair_: Leaves, flowers, none

_Other_: Contrary to the rumour, the immortal Koroks were not originally Kokiri, prior to the Great Flood. Whether they existed prior to that is unknown, but not at all unlikely, due to their ability to hide in the forest. Like the Kokiri, they act as highly sociable caretakers for the forest, closer to tree spirits than anything else. They may in actuality be young Deku and Maku trees.

* * *

**LYNEL**

_Found_: Remote mountain regions

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Nomadic, travel in family units

_Build_: Lower body of a horse, humanoid upper body, and leonine head. Very strong.

_Fur_: Thick pelt and variably coloured fur. Russet, reds, purples, blues.

_Eyes_: Black, brown

_Hair_: Mane in either a variation of the fur, or white or black.

_Other_: Lynel, derogatorily referred to as 'Fire Cats,' are a solitary people who gather only to trade goods: different families have different crafts, all of a relatively simple sort, although their recurved bows are unmatched. The Lynel are magically enhanced, being capable of casting voice (air aspect) magic, often excelling in chants. When mixed with their personal power their roars can carry fire balls, energy bolts or concussive force. A Lynel's power level, which remains constant all its life, can be gauged by the colour of its fur. Those with russet fur are least magically inclined and have are the weakest physically, while deep blue indicate huge power and great prowess, and shades in between show a sliding scale of strength.

* * *

**MINISH (Picori)**

_Found_: Various

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Tend to settle in small communities within the towns of the larger races, and in their own towns, usually in remote areas (deep woods, mountain crags)

_Build_: Bobbin height and smaller, long body, short legs, deer-like ears

_Skin_: Pale, deep blush

_Eyes_: Black, no whites

_Hair_: Blond

_Other_: Usually thought of in the scope of fairies and myths, the Minish are a tiny race of great knowledge and great strength. (They are in fact rather ant-like with regards to strength, being able to carry many times their own weight.) They have four digits on each hand and foot, something else unique among humanoid races. They are a very curious but guarded race, with inclinations to deeper magic. They are said to originate from another world.

* * *

**MOGMA**

_Found_: Eldin, the Steppe, Ore-rich areas

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Unknown, presumably in tunneled communities

_Build_: Human to larger size, Mogmas have long barrel-chested bodies with very short, weak legs and long, powerful arms, and a thick, prehensile tail. Their hands are humanoid (four fingers plus thumb) but clawed, while their feet are more paw-like.

_Skin_: Pale (white, fawn, light brown) short over pink skin – visible at nose and toes only. Darker fur forms a 'mask' around the eyes of some.

_Eyes_: Black, but poor vision

_Hair_: Some mogmas have hair on the tops of their heads and beards – black, grey, brown, orange, blond, blue and green all appear, and the colour will match their front paw and 'mask'

_Other_: Mogmas are a subterranean race of burrowers. They have excellent hearing and can sense by vibrations in the earth, but have very poor eye sight. They were once a very advanced culture but are rarely seen in more recent times. Mogmas are commonly miners and treasure hunters, though some take to farming root vegetables.

* * *

**OOCCA**

_I've mentioned this several times now, but the Oocca=No._

_Found_: Tethered City, Mountain Tops

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Tend to occupy permanent settlements – usually places abandoned by others

_Class_: Avian

_Build_: Short – a yard high, at most. Avian body, short but wide wingspan. Flat humanoid face

_Skin_: Off white

_Eyes_: Pale Pink

_Hair_: None. Feathers are off-white, yellow on the body, pinfeathers tipped in pale blue-green.

_Other_: Avian race which at some point came to occupy the Tethered City (City in the Sky). Relatively intelligent: they can understand the work of others, but are unable to advance themselves as, lacking hands or digits, their ability to manipulate objects is severely limited. They are effectively ineffective caretakers.

* * *

**PARELLA**

_Found_: Waterways

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Large communities in calm waters

_Build_: One to two yards high, with a cartilage structure. The 'shoulder' resembles a jellyfish, underwhich two fins and a tail descend. They have a trumpet snout and a crest resembling coral on top of the head

_Skin_: Very pale (white, grey, yellow, pink) with colour highlights (usually blue)

_Eyes_: Yellow with a black, horizontal pupil

_Hair_: None. Coral crest tends to be pink and grows more with age, like an antler

_Other:_ The parella are an aquatic race who were once the attendants of the dragon Faron. They tend to be shy, and are highly accomplished swimmers, and can fit nearly anywhere due to their lack of bones; so they are rarely seen.

* * *

**RITO**

_They are supposed to be bird people, and seem it so it might seem like an odd one to say "WTF!?" about, but: WTF!?_

_They have a 'beak,' but beaks are a mouth and nares (nostril) construct – Rito have nares only and a separate mouth and jaw. So really the 'beak' is just an odd nose. (And Medli has a bill, as opposed to everyone else's raptorial schnauze. Again, What?) And their wings aren't natural: they're granted by Valoo, the Great Spirit of Air. This leaves the Rito as... what? An odd form of reptile? Feathered mammals? Closer related to lizfoes than they'd care to admit?_

_Found_: Mountain ranges, islands, forest

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Small villages to small cities (called 'aeries') built into mountain sides and old growth forests

_Class_: Reptile [?] (Based on feathers)

_Build_: Human height, wiry, light, and slender, with bird legs and feet.

_Skin_: Grey or tan feathered

_Eyes_: Red

_Hair_: White or (sometimes) brown, (rarely) red on top of the head only.

_Other_: The Rito, an unusual species to be sure, are a very social and open people who easily welcome visitors into their midst and frequently travel, something which often leads them into business as couriers, traders and merchants. They are a highly intelligent people who value knowledge and learning – and the gathering of both is facilitated by their travels. It is said that to be truly well informed one only needs a Rito friend. The Rito's patron god, Valoo, has been known to grant wings to adolescent Rito, allowing them to fly. The Rito have monarchs.

* * *

**SUBROSIAN**

_As their appearance is hidden to all by their cloaks, Subrosians and the Garo are up to interpretation. They are identified as the same species due to their glowing eyes, similar superficial details, and a lack of specific information._

_Found_: Underground

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Small towns to large cities

_Class_: unknown

_Build_: Short, humanoid

_Skin_: Pale

_Eyes_: Pale and luminous blue and green

_Hair_: Pale

_Other_: A subterranean dwelling people, the Subrosians are well adapted to heat and dark. Their glowing eyes allow them to see underground and at night. Due to their lack of exposure to light they must be heavily protected if they ever venture above ground during daylight hours and their pigmentation is exceptionally pale. Their inherent magic is best suited to earth, fire and shadow, the last of which they use to protect themselves from light and to hide themselves

**Garo**

_Found_: Underground, and Ilkana

_Build_: Short, wiry, broad shouldered humanoid.

_Skin_: Pale

_Eyes_: Luminous pale blue or green

_Hair_: Pale

_Other_: An unusually mobile Subrosian tribe and profession: the Garo are sort of trained ninja, who often work as spies. Trained Garo tend to socialize little with other Subrosians, but are not a truly separate culture.

* * *

**SAURIANS**

_Saurian, or Tokage, is a group of several subspecies of bipedal reptilian cultures. _

_Found_: Great Desert, Ghost Mountains, Eastern Hills, Belt

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: High walled fortified settlements in narrow valleys and fjords; some nomadic groups

_Class_: Sauropods [Reptile]

_Build_: Most are very tall, broad shoulders, narrow hip, and long tail

_Skin_: Green scales, undertones of grey and brown. Orange, brown or tan spinal ridges and horns may grow.

_Eyes_: Yellow, red, green

_Other_:

**Arealfo**

_Found_: Ghost Mountains

_Build_: Basic Tokay anatomy, slender, wiry muscle; two wings in addition to other limbs

_Skin_: Pale grey-green

_Eyes_: Yellow, red, green

_Other_: Arealfo, unique among the Tokay, can fly. This adaptation is not natural, but the result of experimentation in the two centuries prior to the Twilight Heroic Cycle, when they were first recognized. The tail is long and thin, acting primarily as a counter balance and steering aid. Arealfos are otherwise identical to Lizalfos.

**Dynalfo (Dinolfos, Dinofol)**

_Found_: Ghost Mountains, Eastern Hills, Belt (Coast)

_Build_: Basic Tokay build, very large, heavily muscled, strong thick semi-prehensile tail

_Skin_: Vivid green (coast, Belt), green-grey (Ghost)

_Eyes_: Yellow

_Other_: Dynafos are the tanks of the Tokay. They are the strongest of them, and formidable in battle. Very few are willing to face them. Outside of the battlefield and the hunt they usually take up metalworking and stonework.

**Lizfos (Lizalfo)**

_Found_: Great Desert

_Build_: Basic Tokay, wiry muscle, lithe

_Skin_: Bright green, green-yellow, brown

_Eyes_: Yellow

_Other_: The Lizalfos are the most common of the Tokay, inhabiting the depths of the Great Desert, although they have been known to travel as far as Death Mountain and the Eastern Hills, they have never been spotted anywhere else outside of wartimes. They are the stealthiest of the Tokay, and canny. They are more intellectual than their brethren, and often occupy abandoned sacred sites, pilfering from the texts and inscriptions left behind.

**Tokay**

_Found_: Belt (Archipelago)

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Small rough villages in remote fjords

_Build_: Short and squat, squarish frame with long tail

_Skin_: Green scales – light belly, leaf-toned body and limbs. Small ridge of orange spines.

_Eyes_: Blue

_Other_: The group called Tokay is comprised of the least war-like of all the Tokage tribes. Somewhat less athletically inclined than their counterparts, the Tokay are still carnivores on the hunt. Not particularly adept at said hunt, they've settled for trying to make a killing as merchants of wares and services, but have highly specialised goods which are generally only profitable within the Tokay tribes. They are barely tolerated in non-Tokay settlements, whether Tokage or other.

* * *

**TWILI**

_Found_: Twilight Realm

_Settlement Patterns_: Fortified towns and cities.

_Build_: Tall (often double the average human, although they can be quite short as well), slender and often broad shouldered.

_Skin_: Pale grey-blue.

_Eyes_: Red, yellow, black

_Hair_: Red, orange, yellow

_Other_: The ancestors of the Twili, formidable sorcerers, were banished from Hyrule to the Twilight Realm for attempting to conquer the Sacred Realm long ago. The audacious race has since mellowed (somewhat) and while many still maintain their ambition they now relegate it to less dangerous goals. They are now a generally peaceful race, changed to match the harsh, but quiet world they now inhabit.

The Twili are often thought to have mottled skin, but the black 'markings' seen by other races are in fact a style of close fitting clothing which the Twili prefer. As a nearly uniformly sorcerous people, the Twili have glowing markings, these being truly part of themselves. *

*****_[I forgot this in 'Magic' – will add it in later – when someone powerful draws on a lot of magic the 'shape' of their magic appears on the skin (or fur or whatnot). The shape never changes for a given person. The sometimes glowing swirl and dots on TP!Link's forehead as a wolf is one of his marks as a magi. **]_

******_[Also, 'magi' is a catch all for all magic users, since technical terms aren't always known or are a mouthful to always say, and guessing and getting it wrong can be insulting. Maybe I'll do a vocabulary section?]_

* * *

**WATARARA**

_Found_: Various

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Unknown. Seasonal migration/nomadic trends

_Build_: Large humanoid birds of varying type (by tribe). Their wings are extensions of their arms.

_Feathers_: Various by tribe.

_Eyes_: Black, brown, grey

_Hair_: No hair, but many adults have impressive crests

_Other_: The Watarara are Hyrule's only naturally flight-capable people. As they spend most of their time in the air and migrate often, very little is in fact known about them, but they seem to be similar to the Rito, save for that the Watarara are actual birds.

* * *

**YETI**

_Found_: Arctic regions

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: May be nomadic or settle in towns of small to large size.

_Class_: Mammal

_Build_: Very tall, broad humanoid, at least half again the height of the average human.

_Fur_: White fur, yellows or greys with age. The facial fur is very fine.

_Eyes_: Black, brown, yellow, grey

_Other_: The yeti tribes tend to be very insular, as by inhabiting arctic regions they are ill accustom to receiving outsiders. Most tend to be cold to visitors, if not outright hostile, although some are friendlier than others.

**Anouki**

_No reason to leave them in Oshus' dreams._

_Found_: North Sea islands

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Small to large towns

_Build_: The shorter of the Yeti, half again the height of a man. Standard build. Males have two small horns.

_Fur_: White or (rarely) black, grey or blue tints, greys with age. Facial fur is especially short but thick.

_Eyes_: Black, brown, grey

_Other_: Xenophobic, but will gossip to anyone. The Anouki are hoarders. Given time they may accept outsiders into their clans and villages, but newcomers (and their immediate descendants) will always be the favourite object of gossip and ridicule. The Anouki are of moderate intelligence, but are fixated on stories and not particularly inclined towards finer arts or craftsmanship.

**Yook**

_Ditto_

_Found_: Arctic regions (North Sea coast of the Spine)

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Solitary nomads

_Build_: Minimum twice the height of the average human, usually. Broad, very heavily muscled.

_Fur_: Thick and coarse white, (sometimes) brown, (rarely) black fur, with fine dark grey fur on face, hands and feet. Fur is darker hip-down.

_Eyes_: Red, yellow

_Other_: Yook, often portrayed as the archetype 'abominable snowman' are in fact only little more aggressive than the standard Anouki. They tend to be much taller, as well as broader and stronger due living in the mountains on the North Sea, where they must be able to travel and maintain themselves for extended periods of time alone in harsh climes. They are only truly violent when provoked or in protecting their sacred places, a guard job they take very seriously – more so than any other Hyrulian tribe. Trader camps are maintained on a seasonal basis, which also provides the Yook with safe havens in the darkest depths of winter. The Yook are primarily miners, trading ores on the rare occasion they do see outsiders.

* * *

**ZORA**

_31-03-2014 : edited for WTF factor (art available on my deviantart) as Zora are usually humans + scales – skull + fish-for-a-head + fins wherever._

_Found_: Water

_Settlement_ _Patterns_: Small to large isolated towns and cities, always at least partially submerged.

_Build_: Somewhat taller than the average human when standing. Zora resemble mudskippers and leaping blennie's, with an extra set of fins adapted for walking upright or scuttling on all fours. They are long, slender, with front fins adapted to move on all fours, swim, and manipulate objects – digits have developed.

_Skin_: Fine scales, usually blue, grey, brown or green, but any colour that can appear on a fish can appear on a zora. Colouration is sometimes simple but sometimes highly ornate, varying by tribe.

_Eyes_: Usually iridescent and bright. Yellow, green, blue, red, orange.

_Other_: The Zora is an aquatic race which is both highly intelligent and magically talented. Zora artistry is well known for its quality and for its magical imbuement – charms and tokens as well as aquatic herbs and plants are the main economic drive for the Zora people. Jabu-Jabu is the patron god of the Zora, offering them protection on his waterways. The Zora nation is in fact a kingdom/queendom.

Zora have adapted to live on land as well as in the water, though they can never travel far from a water source lest they dry out. They are covered in a layer of mucus which protects their scales from drying out. The Zora tend to be rather awkward on land, as their tails get in the way and their fins are no intended to walk long distances – something they find very tiring.

The "Sea Zora" are in fact merely regular Zora. The fins of Zora living in the seas tend to be larger and stronger and the scales spinier than those of Zora who live inland due to the more turbulent waters.

**ZOLA**

_Following the fan tradition. Kinda._

_Build_: Taller than average Zora, broader, heavier set.

_Other_: Large Zora with the possibility of becoming uncommonly strong are often trained as warriors, known as Zola, who guard important places, people and religious sites and icons. Zola, very devoted in their duty, have a tendency of hitting first and analysing the remains later. Renegade Zola and Zola from unaligned tribes have earned the Zola a bad reputation not aided by this.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

OoOoOoOoOoOoO


	10. VII Redead Survival Guide

**Edited 3-3-2013**

_Loosely based off "The Worst Case-Scenario Survival Handbook: Travel" this is only six pages._

**You Live Once, Unless You Live Twice:**

**Surviving the Redead Apocalypse **

_**(Chapter Four of "A Hylian's Worst-Case Scenario Survival Guide")**_

And now, visitor to our fair Hyrule, we come to the more serious portion of our guide. As is well known, Hyrule is the land of Legends, true Legends, and no Legend is born without a little strife. Never fear! Dear visitor, these occasions are blessedly (and Blessedly) rare, and seldom come without warning. If however, there are steps one might take to protect oneself.

No matter where in this world you are you run the risk of coming across a minor event, likely something stirred up by amateur Dark Lords playing with the mode of destruction du jour.

I speak of course of the recently popularized Redead Apocalypse, so common in plays and new literature of late.

Laugh if you will, but those who doubt are most cordially invited to visit the Royal Valley tombs.

I'm told it's quite nice this time of year, but the local pests bite no matter the season.

OoOoOoOoO

**How to Cross the Fields After Dark**

**1. Keep moving**

To the inexperienced, this seems like a no brainer. If you do not want to be caught out after nightfall, keep moving. If you don't mind, pitch a tent.

This logic works in other nations, but only the first is true in Hyrule.

While most of Hyrule's fields are safe, there are many old battle fields, particularly in the Eldin region, or other old-blood sites where the dead were not properly disposed of and have since risen again. Should you find yourself in or near one of these areas, or are too unfamiliar with the terrain to be certain: MOVE. Whatever you're doing, it is not worth the risk.

**2. Light a fire**

There are no undead creatures present in the fields which do not fear flame – it is for this reason that every vehicle comes standard with a large complementary supply of flares: use them.

Most department stores carry flares and torches for resupply, particularly for longer trips.

**3. Wear earplugs**

The greatest danger posed by the fiends of the fields is the cry of the redead, which causes temporary paralysis to all in hearing range – if you cannot move to maintain your flames, they will eventually go out leaving you in serious danger. Redead screams have also been known to cause car crashes.

**4. Seek Shelter**

The best defence is a set of solid walls. Many Hyrulian buildings in afflicted areas have small, high or no windows on ground level as a precaution against the undead, and most are willing to take in travellers for the night.

**Creatures Found in the Fields**

**Stalfo**

The most common undead found in the fields. Stalfoes are usually concentrated around battle sites and the edges of the great forest. Stalfoes are animated skeletons and attack any who approach their resting place. Those near the woods are usually unarmed, but often carry weaponry in other regions. They turn to dust at contact with sunlight and fire.

**Redead**

A redead is similar in essence to a stalfo – they are animated corpses, mummified either naturally or by the necromantic magic that preserves them. Because they do still have flesh they are capable of screaming, but little else. The redead can paralyse via their scream, absorb magic and life energy of the living to maintain their undeath, and can turn the living into redeads via their bite. They cannot move in sunlight, and turn to dust in fire – but note some can return as stalfoes if the burning is not complete.

**Bubble**

Bubbles are skulls with conjured wings. In some locations they can manifest a flame or a flame-like aura (which causes confusion to the afflicted) but these do not appear in the fields. However, all bubbles are flame resistant, and while active at night can move in daylight. Bubbles must be shattered, which can be done if they can be knocked out of the air.

**Grave Master (Dead Hand)**

Grave masters do appear on the fields, albeit rarely. Those there are thought to have been necromancers or demons in life due to their unusual multi-limbed appearance and control over their surrounding living dead. They are very resilient, and if you cannot escape, fire and force are your best options.

OoOoOoOoO

**Treating Redead Bites**

**1. Time is of the essence**

If you have been bitten by a redead, but have managed to escape, you must act quickly – while some are able to stave off the infection for days, others can succumb very quickly.

**2. Clean the wound**

This may involve nothing more than washing the wound (ideally in water from great fountains or springs or other sanctified waters, although any clean water will do) but can mean amputation if the infected area is spreading too rapidly or was left too long. The proper cleaning given quickly enough can save a life and a limb.

**3. Seek medical help**

Most clinics and holy sites around Hyrule stock four things for these situations: holy water, a healing fairy, clear potion, or Great Fairy Tears.

**Holy water, healing fairies, clear potion, and Great Fairy Tears**

These are among the strongest healing agents known, and the only ones known to combat curses and magically assisted infections such as the bite of the undead. They are listed in order of both potency (increasing) and availability (decreasing). A truly prepared adventurer may wish to stock up on one of these before venturing out, but bear in mind they are to a one difficult and expensive to procure.

OoOoOoOoO

**Don't Follow the Light**

You are out walking at night; you could be anywhere, when you see it. It's indistinct, glowing and suddenly, it moves. What is it?

Take heed, for you may have had the misfortune of crossing a spirit.

**Poe**

Malevolent spirits that may manifest anywhere someone has died or been lain to rest. Most can only see a floating lantern where a Poe wanders. For those who can see the spirit itself, a Poe appears as a hooded spectre (often masked) carrying a lantern, which contains the spirits soul. Poes can be both very weak or very powerful and thus difficult to disperse or escape. While some weaker Poes will not attack unless disturbed, all Poes will attack an intruder to their territory if they are aware of them, but will grow bored if their victim wanders too far from their resting place.

Out of doors, Poes tend to appear at night or in desecrated ruins at any time.

Poes can only be banished by those who can see them.

**Imp**

A variety of Poe, imps are small and powerful, rarely masked, and usually armed. Cases of violent haunting where furniture and other items move and are thrown around are usually caused by imps. Imps are most often inflicted as a curse, but can be dealt with the same way as regular Poes.

**Ghoul**

Ghouls are invisible spirits to most, but are fiercely malevolent, being manifest ill will. Unlike Poes, they do not carry a light, nor do they glow like ghini, but can only be seen by those with true eyes or spirit eyes. However, since their means of attack are purely physical they can be fought and destroyed by anyone who can throw a punch or swing a stick. Ghouls take many forms, the most common of which is a desiccated rat.

**Babasu (Boe)**

Babasu are visible, wispy spirits with glowing eyes. They usually appear in swarms are moving shadows in dark, damp, and isolated places, although a white variety has been rumoured to appear in cold regions and in winter. The wisps can be easily dispersed by passing something through them, but large groups can be dangerous.

**Ghini**

Luminescent spectres with glowing eyes, Ghini haunt graveyards, rest very lightly, and are able to appear in daylight. They can be seen by anyone, but cannot cross the boundaries of their graveyards. They can only be exorcized by purifying powers (typically, but not limited to, Light and Fire), and attack in groups.

OoOoOoOoO

**So You're Possessed**

There are a few different options for dealing with possession.

**1. Wait it out**

Most spirits who try to possess people are frankly, simply young, weak and excitable. They swiftly grow bored after they realise all they can really do is confuse their victims, the more strong-willed of whom can actually evict the offending spirit.

**2. Leave the area the possession occurred in**

Spirits such as Poes can only command power near their resting places, and so are forced to relinquish control of their victims when the distance is too great.

**3. Barter**

Most of the more powerful possessing spirits, on whom the previous two suggestions don't work, simply want something. If this is the case it will become possible to determine what things the spirit desires and convince it to leave. Take care not to offend the spirit, however, for it may take a piece of the victims' soul if angered.

No benevolent spirit will require measures more serious than this – keeping in mind that if the bartered thing is a task, it can still be quite dangerous.

**4. Exorcism**

In more serious cases the spirit will not relinquish control, or may have in fact evicted the soul of the victim. If this is the case the victim's soul will need to be found and a sage, Sage, or Spirit magi consulted for the exorcism.

**5. Death**

In very rare cases the spirit will be too powerful to evict, or may even be occupying the body with the blessing of the owner. As such spirits are never truly benevolent, separation will be impossible, the only recourse is the death of the possessed. As long as the spirit in question is neither demon nor god, this will also kill the spirit.

OoOoOoOoO

**Stop Touching Me**

**Dead Hand (Wall master)**

Dead hands are animated severed hands which individually cut and attempt to strangle victims, but are very weak when caught. Groups of dead hands come together to form a larger, stronger body to bludgeon, cut and strangle. Dead hands are found in abandoned graveyards and holy sites.

**Dexihand**

A disembodied hand which has routed on to the ground, usually in shallow pools. A Dexihand has a strong grip, which it uses to drag its victims under water or strangle them. They are however very brittle, and so a decent grip or blow can break a Dexihand.

OoOoOoOoO

**If You're Attacked by a 'Mummy'**

**Gibido**

What most people imagine when they talk about 'mummies' is the bandaged wrapped, deliberately mummified and cursed entity known as the Gibido. Gibido are found in graveyards, tombs and some temples, and behave similarly to redeads, having the paralysing scream, and ability to devour life and magic. They do not however bite and cannot spread their curse. Gibido are occasionally used as guardians, and some temple knights have been recorded to have willingly been made into undead in order to continue protecting their charges.

Gibido are vulnerable to fire and sunlight and sufficient physical damage will unravel their curse.

**Anubis**

A guardian spirit, the Anubis is a creature of sand and fire found in desert temples, palaces and ossuaries. It is made of sand and wraps, and may be possessed by deceased warriors or priests. They can summon fire but are also only vulnerable to it, due to their wrappings. An Anubis is not a malevolent creature and will only attack if attacked.

OoOoOoOoO

**And You Thought You Were Safe in the Water**

Water is the simplest barrier to any creature undead. The exception being if the creature in question was, in life, water born.

Curiously, while Zora ghosts have been known to appear, there has never been a documented case of an undead Zora or Parella. It is unknown why this is: it may simply be that those tribes do not speak of it, seeing as they are the only water dwellers in Hyrule, and are both immensely prideful.

**Skullfish**

Skeletal fish with glowing eyes, red ballasts in their ribcages and elaborate fins; Skullfish attack swimmers in schools, and prove to be very vicious, larger schools shredding their victims in moments. Skullfish rarely appear anywhere but desecrated holy waters, usually as a manifest curse, most if not all of which are documented. Skullfish are killed by shattering them, or by lifting the curse. All but a handful of known cursed waters remain from the last heroic cycle.

**Garahna**

The slightly larger saltwater cousin to the Skullfish, Garahna tend to follow in the wake of the solitary Desbreko and swarm the remains of the undead shark's prey.

**Bago-Bago**

A large skeletal fish, without eyes, ballast or extra fins, which prefers hot waters. These are exceedingly rare and may in fact be myth. Should the stories be fact, a good smack to the side should dispatch this pest.

**Desbreko**

Desbreko are most likely undead Gyorg, as can be deduced from the bones of the cranial armour of the Gyorg around their heads. They only appear in salt water, and are dealt with by the Zora. A land-born swimmer caught by a Desbreko feeding frenzy has few hopes of survival. Desbreko are, thankfully, rare.

OoOoOoOoO

**Place to be Weary**

The educated traveller should know that while most of Hyrule is safe from these entities, lesser known sites may have fallen through the cracks, and caution is always a good thing.

-Abandoned temples

-Battle Fields

-Desecrated temples

-Desecrated holy waters

-Dry river beds

-Great Woods borders

-Grave mounds

-Graveyards

-Natural disaster sites

-Ritual Sites

-Ruins

-Sewers

-Tombs

OoOoOoOoO

OoOoOoOoO

_A.N. And suddenly Hyrule's tourism rates drop. Odd that._


	11. VIII About Sheik

**Edit**_ 26-Nov-2011: You're getting sleepy... very sleepy_

**Edit 3-3-2013**

**Edit** **10-3-2013** A Two-Faced Triforce?

**The F*ck is Sheik?**

**Or, theories while I wait to pick up Skyward Sword tomorrow**

_In all honesty I'd rather stay out of this, but... Well, I'm not sure why I'm not._

_(Lots of brackets)_

Zelda's alter ego, the mysterious Sheik! Where would the Hero of Time be without him (or her)? Dunno, but I'm sure someone's written on that.

I remember when I first played Ocarina of Time and Link met Sheik who revealed him(her)self to be none other than Zelda, the missing princess, who had the foresight to disguise herself for _seven bloody _(and bloody) _years_ but not apparently to reveal herself somewhere that wasn't directly under her enemy's admittedly large nose.

I, like many others, felt cheated.

Never mind how they look, (incidentally, original Sheik seems to have a male polygon base while 3D Sheik has a figure) how could dainty princess Zelda be Sheik, the dark, mysterious dude with a poetic soul who moves swift and stealthy through remote and hostile lands?

Good grief, she screams and freezes as soon as anything starts to happen – she needs Link to hold her hand all the way down the tower. Whenever I play now I can't help but wonder at how she can't navigate around small rocks. Or, you know, step over them?

Short version: I have always wanted her alter ego back and given the discrepancy between the calm and competent Sheikah persona and the meek Princess, I have to wonder what's up.

So here are some explanations, starting with canon, and then a couple theories. Frankly I think they can all be used, and won't throw my vote to any one of them. If you know another review and I'll tack it on with credit to you.

**Zelda In Disguise**

Zelda, after escaping from the castle with her Sheikah guardian, takes on a new identity, that of a young Sheikah boy (girl).

Pros:

This is the canon explanation, and can be worked with. She can physically disguise herself, binding her chest, dying her hair, and she's growing so her height and proportions will change during puberty – harder to recognize. Training will give her muscle mass and change her silhouette again. There may be magic to future hide her. She can also learn to act, or to emulate someone.

Cons:

Major personality and skill set shift. The personality isn't so much of a problem, since she might be a good actor, but it is very hard to fake competence. Sheik was very skilled and composed, but as I mentioned above Zelda falls to pieces very quickly and isn't very helpful what with the gasping and screaming and the_ supposed to have been trained as a Sheikah warrior_. Also, where do her pipes go after the change? She goes from fit to feeble.

**The Old Switcharoo**

This is popular, especially with romance writers. Sheik puts all this work into helping the Hero and has his(her) glory stolen by Zelda. Or just gives her the credit – loyal servant of the crown and all.

Pros:

Explains personality and skill set shift, as well as the change in stature – different person, different body, different life and personality.

Cons:

Where is Zelda during this? Shadowing the shadow? Under house arrest by her followers? What is hiding her, given how quickly Ganondorf finds her after she comes into the open? It's a scale of minute after years of looking. And how does the switch occur, considering the above? Where does the double go after the switch has occurred – one would think he/she would stick around to help.

**A la Midna**

In The Twilight Princess Zelda's essence/magic/whatever flows into Midna. (Zelda's body vanishes – presumably going with her power, except she turns up in Ganondorf's possession later. Not sure what that's about.) It may be that something similar might occur – a kind of possession.

Pros:

The possessed person's talents could remain while being guided by the possessor's knowledge and goals. Again, this accounts for the skill sets. It also removes the need for disguise or a dash hole for the princess.

Cons:

How does the reveal occur? (How does the possession even begin?) Does Zelda leave her host and appear while he(she) leaves? Is this something like Quirrelmort in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone – the possessee is ultimately sacrificed to the possessor? Does the possessor keep his/her host's abilities afterwards, or is that even relevant if their own character has gone unchanged?

**Seeing Dead People**

What is the flash that hides Zelda's unveiling reminiscent to? Majora's Mask's mask transformation sequence, of course. And is it not feasible that a young Sheikah died with regrets, allowing a mask to be made, which the princess could then wear, making her appear as a young Sheikah (wo)man?

Pros:

The MM masks all come with the skills of the deceased (once used to the new body) and since the mask is made to allow the dying to ease their regrets, something of them however much or however little must remain – explaining the character of Sheik versus Zelda.

Cons:

Who would have done the needed magic to make the mask (as I can't see the Happy Mask Salesman hanging around very long – more of the saves-own-hide-while-others-toil type) and how does Zelda know how to use it? Where (and when) did the deceased come from? Does Zelda not acquire some fortitude whilst wearing the mask, seeing as despite appearances she's still the one doing all the work?

**Me Myself and I**

What I think of as the fun option (think of the plot lines!): Zelda has a form of Multiple Personality Disorder.

Pros:

Personality shift without a secondary person. MPD may also allow one of her personalities to be that tragic Sheikah so creatively named Sheik and keep his(her) memories (and skills) separate from "Princess Zelda's." A different personality can also translate into a different way of carrying oneself – and comportment can have a very strong influence on how a person is seen. It is possible to mistake the same person for another.

Cons:

"Sheik's" different mannerisms don't explain the body changes (I mentioned muscle mass earlier). Can Hylian MPD be magical – different personality different look? (Red eyes, dirty vs platinum blond...) Or does she consciously change her looks when she changes personalities? And if any of this (or the above) is the case, why the hell do her clothes change?

**You're getting sleepy... very sleepy...** (Suggested by msfcatlover)

In the manga a magical mind-and-body altering sequence takes place: Impa casts a spell, sealing away Zelda's memories and replacing them with a new set, and in the same swoop changes her body to that of a Sheikah (boy?). Presumably this also masked whatever Ganondorf was looking for in his search for her.

Pros:

Covers all most the bases, really. Her looks change, her mindset changes, even her memories are different. Timing-wise, manga-verse also gives enough time for Zelda's appearance to be reported and reacted to, as opposed to Ganon's insta-find in the game. In either version he's still a drama king (Shattering heart-warming scenes! Dramatic lights! Taunting jibes! Monologue-capped-with-an-evil-laugh! Straight from the _Evil Villain's Handbook for Capturing Princesses and Irking Heroes_.)

Cons:

I'm still inclined to think that some of the Sheikah skills would remain, as while her appearance changes Zelda's still the one going through the motions (feel free to ignore my opinion though) although it's worth noting that manga-Zelda was somewhat less hopeless. (She does retrieve Link's sword for him instead of standing and pointing. And while she does need protecting she doesn't freeze up. But there's the limit...) And oddly enough, in both canon and manga, she transforms into her dress: vanity, maybe? But where does she keep it?

**A Two-faced Triforce?** (Suggested by phantomdemon2)

Could the Triforce have done it? In Ocarina and elsewhere Ganondorf uses the Triforce, which flashes, to become Ganon, the boar-thing. The Tetra-Zelda change may also be Triforce related, as it also gives a little light show, but it could also be a royal bloodline thing. Regardless, this is probably the most solid possibility I've seen.

Pros:

If you compare the Zelda-Sheik change to the Ganondorf-Ganon one, their bodies change, and their tactics and skills and modus operandi all change too. Zelda goes from physically weak but magical princess who can't plan (re: her insta-capture) or handle herself in a bad situation (utterly helpless while escaping) to strong, stealthy Sheikah guy with arguable magic ability who has back doors and windows everywhere (the disappearing acts) and by the look of him can take care of himself pretty well. Ganon(dorf)'s change is similar: from human to boar-monster, magic to a two-handed sword style, evasive manoeuvres and plotting to mindless brute force.

Even their outfits change, but I suppose we'll just call magic on that one? Changed to fit the role/form the Triforce/Gods have ordained maybe?

Cons:

Cloths is also a con: Ganon's little clothing is arguably just the remains of Ganondorf's threads, which once more begs the question of Zelda's dress to skin-tight suit: why?

The Triforce has also arguably changed the Hero, TP!Link, into a wolf: we learn while eavesdropping in Kakariko that the shop owner was turned into a Shadow Beast when attacked, but Link's Triforce flashes and he turns into a wolf instead, as he does whenever he enters Twilight, protected unlike everyone else who turn into spirits. This would be a protective act of the relic on Link, and not a willed change like for Zelda and Ganondorf, so maybe it's different, but should she turn into an animal of some kind instead?

That aside, the Pros definitely outweigh the Cons here.

.o0O0o.o0O0o.


	12. IX When Plants Attack

**Posted 4-3-2013**

**But it's Only a Flower:**

_**When Plants Attack**_

_It's alive!_

I hate Deku Baba. They aren't difficult foes by any stretch, but they're everywhere. Without, it appears, being much of anywhere.

Has anyone noticed? An odd little patch of low crab grass randomly sprouts into a giant man-eating plant? Where does the bloom-mouth-thing come from? True, some Baba's have the bulb at their base, which could theoretically hold the rest of the flower – if it were larger, and existed in any pre-flood source. And that's still only if we're pretending that that spindly little stem has any business holding up that kind of weight, and that high. I assume magic animated the original plant (it is after all a '_Deku'_ Baba, although it may just be named by association with woods) but if the physiology of the being that is being animated is there, the magic should not have to reinforce it for necessary tasks, such as grabbing and holding the errant adventurers who sustain them.

So what we know of the babas is this:

-They are most commonly – but not uniquely – blue. Red/Yellow is relatively common.

-They are taller than full grown men, on average half again as tall or twice as tall (roughly the height range of a Goron). Some Babas are considerably larger.

-The stems are strong, but some are versatile while some are stiff, and can harden into wood or a wood-like substance when dead, while other stems just seem to collapse. (... how? ...)

-They have a sedentary position, which is more compact than their regular position – less visible. This position likely strongly resembles a normal flower found in the same regions as babas, providing a sort of camouflage. Alternately, they may have subterranean pods, but this seems unlikely – plants like sun too much. And how many flowers rebury themselves on a moment to moment basis anyway?

-Different flowers have different habitats – so it is with Babas.

-The petals, leaves and other parts are quite thick and stiff, but joints are a weak point.

Whether an amateur botanist, aspiring adventurer, or a nitpicking fan, remember: it's only a flower.

ITSONLYAFLOWERWHYAREYOURUNNI NG

There are many varieties of carnivorous 'plants,' divided into three subclasses:

_Traps_ are largely immobile plants which wait for prey to come to them. They often resemble mundane plants and have very simple instinctual responses to external stimuli.

_Chameleons_ are sentient plants which resemble non-sentient species. They can be capable of locomotion and setting new roots, but it is uncommon.

_Mock-flowers_ can be stationary or mobile as they are creatures resembling plants, but not the true plants they resemble common plants when not attacking.

Other creatures are also known to imitate plants.

ITSONLYAFLOWERWHYAREYOURUNNI NG

1. **DEKU BABA**

_Long necked flowers with instinctual intelligence. Babas range from mostly harmless to incredibly dangerous. Consists of Trap and Chameleons._

_**Common Baba (Common Blue) **_

_Habitat_**:** Forest (boreal, tropical)

_Type_: Trap

_Description_**: **Resembles a large blue flytrap, the inside of the head resembles a partially wilted leaf. Most have a red edge. The stem is wood and ridged, but with minor mobility at the head and base. The leaves are wide and very long with wide serrated edges – each leaf has eleven points.

_Diet_**:** Lizards, birds, small mammals

_Notes_**:** The Blue Baba is the most commonly found baba in Hyrule, usually in the Woodland Realm. The Blue resembles a variety of giant flytrap found in those areas, and the head's 'petals' are only marginally stronger than the mundane flytrap. It twists at its base and at its head to reach for prey which it senses via vibrations in the air and ground. The Blue tends to vibrate when agitated, and the movement causes an increasing chattering noise – this sound is the stalk cracking due to excessive movement, and the deterioration increases over time.

The Blue is relatively harmless to adults, but can harm children and is known for eating pets. They are sometimes grown as a reliable and cheap source of kindling.

**Dekulike**

_Habitat_**:** Moist, sheltered areas – caves and forests. Seeds flourish best in crags.

_Type_: Trap

_Description_**: **A large six petal bloom, in the shape of a large Canterbury bellflower, with a dark blue base and deep crimson edge. An apparent secondary bloom – a rusty yellow-orange – within the neck of the bell is the disguised mouth – the six petals of this 'bloom' are tipped with a single tooth like thorn. All petals are a hand thick, on average, but can be thicker in larger plants. It has a wide shallow root-system. The interior of the flower is highly acidic.

_Diet_**:** Omnivorous. As this plant is sedentary, it must wait for food to come to it. This is not generally problematic as it has low metabolic rates and like babas can utilize its root system for sustenance. Otherwise it will consume whatever falls into the reach of its mouth, spitting out inedible substances.

_Notes_**:** This is a rare species, but long lived, and is especially hardy due to its versatile diet. Drought poses little difficulty since it tends to grow well below the water table and it stores water for later use. The thick plant walls are similar to tough leather making the plant more difficult to damage.

_**Fire Baba (Piranha Plant)**_

_Habitat_**:** Highlands and plains.

_Type_: Chameleon

_Description_**: **A mostly blue bulb with red or pink tipped petals on a thick and firm blue to green stem.

_Diet_**:** Birds, small to medium mammals

_Notes_**:** The fire baba is so called for a very rare ability: when hunting it spits acid, which reacts to dry materials and sometimes even the air causing it to combust. The fire baba is the cause of many a grass fire. It is to be approached with caution if at all as precautions must be taken about the acid. If the head is removed it can be more dangerous loose than on the stem, as it continues to live and pursue prey and predators alike and will imbue its bite with its the acid: a very painful prospect.

_**Goponga Flower **_

_Habitat_**: **Swampland

_Type_: Trap

_Description_**: ** A large thick bloom or pod – which can be nearly any colour – on a large scrub plant. Some blooms can be larger than a man is tall, and the walls of the pod are very thick and tough.

_Diet_**:** Omnivore – whatever falls in. Also draws from its root system.

_Notes_**:** The Goponga flower is a close relative of the fire baba, and spits the same acid, as well as secreting it, so be aware if they are known in your area. They track movement by vibrations and spit at potential threats rather than potential prey.

_**Prubaba**_

_Habitat_**:** Plains, preferring long grasses for camouflage.

_Type_: Chameleon

_Description_**: **Its head most resembles an enlarged tulip, if one ever had razor tipped petals.

The stem is jointed and supported by a rudimentary cartilage skeleton, which can collapse on itself when not striking out, or expand to upwards from a meter. The leaves are large and blade-like – on average a meter and a half high, and broad, they surround the Babas' protective bulb. The joint sections and leaves tend to be edged in ruddy red.

_Diet_**:** Birds, rodents, other small creatures. Larger plants will be able to consume larger prey. All will attack any movement sensed.

_Notes_**:** The second most common variety of Baba, the Prubaba is the plains-dwelling sibling of the trap-type Deku Baba. Originally bred by green magi – cartilage and musculature are not natural to plants.

**Shadow Baba**

_Habitat_: Areas steeped in Dark/Chaos

_Type_: Chameleon

_Description_: Similar to the Prubaba and Fire babas in shape the shadow baba is black or nearly black blue or purple with red and violet details. Its stem is thorny.

_Diet_: latent magic, or whatever it can catch

_Notes_: Every shadow baba was originally another variety of baba, corrupted by dark magic. While not technically poisonous, the shadow baba is known to spread disease and curses.

ITSONLYAFLOWERWHYAREYOURUNNI NG

**2. MOCK-FLOWERS**

_**Saully Baba (Biobaba)**_

_Habitat_**:** Aquatic.

_Description_**: **Similar to the Common Blue, with red accents. It has two prehensile limbs with pincers it uses to restrain larger prey and to move around.

_Diet_**:** Fish, shellfish, waterfowl, aquatic mammals

_Notes_**:** The Saully Baba latches onto rocks and lily pads for a better vantage on its prey. It can prove a nuisance for boaters and fishermen, and a hazard for swimmers. Its limbs are relatively brittle.

_**Boko Baba**_

_Habitat_**:** Temperate and tropical climate, especially common near salt water.

_Description_**: **The most colourful of the so-called Babas, the Boko Baba's head, red with wide yellow edges, closely resembles the Common Blue in shape, but is ousted as in impostor by its tongue and teeth. It's 'Stem' and 'flower' are supported by a skeletal and cartilage structure and are both highly flexible.

_Diet_**:** Birds, lizards, small to medium sized mammals

_Notes_**:** The Boko Baba builds up a nest around itself which it retreats into, then bursts out of when attacking. This animal poses a threat to the unwary.

_**Diababa**_

_Habitat_**:** NA

_Description_**: **A mutation caused by wild magic or curses, diababa can resemble prubaba, ophidian baba and boko baba, outsized and with extra limbs and heads.

_Diet_**:** Omnivore, anything it can hold may prove a meal.

_Notes_**:** Highly hostile and highly dangerous, this mock-flower is thankfully rare and if identified, best left to the professionals as they are very difficult to harm at all: explosives are often involved.

**Manhandla**

_Habitat_**:** Deep woods

_Description_**: **A four headed creature rarely seen, the heads resemble Serpent baba and Piranha plants, complete with teeth, although they have also been reported to have a blue colouring. The spiny trunks attach the head to a thick carapace, usually green or blue-grey. It travels slowly on many small legs which grow from the carapace.

_Diet_**:** Large animals.

_Notes_**:** Rumoured to have been made by a mad alchemist, the Manhandla is very violent but also very rare. It has been said that they can spit fire but this may prove to be a myth.

_**Ophidian Flower (Serpent Baba)**_

_Habitat_**:** Forests and grasslands

_Description_: Caught between snake and flower, the serpent baba has a spiny brown trunk and a large red head with black markings. It possesses a serpent's forked tongue which it uses to 'see' smells and its teeth (all of which are needle like) include fangs at the front of their jaws. The fangs deliver a mild paralysing agent.

_Diet_**:** Anything it can catch and subdue, preferring medium sized mammals.

_Notes_: Like the Saully, the Serpent baba anchors itself to the ground, and like a fire baba is more dangerous once it is cut free, but it moves on its own with a side-winding motion. It will not however usually disengage from a perch of its own accord to chase a foe or meal.

**Piranha Plant**

_Habitat_: Caves, other dark and damp locations.

_Description_: A cousin to the Ophidian flower, the Piranha Plant is built identically, but less spiny and has orange markings rather than black.

_Diet_: bats, vermin, other small mammals.

_Notes_: The Piranha Plant withers somewhat in direct sunlight and does not carry any poison. In some regions it is used in salads.

**Pokey**

_Habitat_: Desert

_Description_: A slow, cactus like creature, the Pokey is green-scaled and spiky.

_Diet_: Insects, vermin

_Notes_: The Pokey is most commonly found in Holodrum although some colonies exist in the Great Desert as well. Its spines contain a relaxant which the Zuna use in their sand-rubs.

**Quadro Baba (Gold Baba)**

_Habitat_**:** Forests and grasslands

_Description_: A hardier form of Ophidian Flower, the spines on the brown trunk are a violent purple and can carry mild toxins, producing rashes if touched. The head is a golden yellow and it has two sets of jaws: vertical and horizontal. It has a blue tongue which it uses to 'see' smells and its needle-like teeth are led by fangs which deliver a mild paralysing agent.

_Diet_**:** Anything it can catch and subdue, preferring medium sized mammals.

_Notes_: Like the Saully, the Serpent baba anchors itself to the ground, and like a fire baba is more dangerous once it is cut free, but it moves on its own with a side-winding motion. It will not however usually disengage from a perch of its own accord to chase a foe or meal.

**Snap Dragon**

_Habitat_**:** North-western Hyrule, forest and grasslands preferred

_Description_**: **A fawn coloured bipedal animal with a disproportionately large head and two prehensile limbs resembling vines. Around its head is a green crest which resembles a flower's petals. The teeth and crest are lightly serrated.

_Diet_**:** Small to medium large mammals, birds

_Notes_**:** The snap dragon is one of the few flower-impersonating creatures which only vaguely resembles a flower. When it attacks it runs and leaps at great speeds and can be very dangerous for travellers.

ITSONLYAFLOWERWHYAREYOURUNNI NG

**3. PUFFSTOOL**

_Habitat_**:** Wooded areas, homes

_Description_**: **A minute bi-pedal creature resembling a red-capped mushroom.

_Diet_**:** Wood, will eat vegetation

_Notes_**:** The puffstool is most commonly known as a household nuisance, occupying a place between the termite and the bedbug of Hyrule. Cleanliness can help keep them down.

ITSONLYAFLOWERWHYAREYOURUNNI NG

**4. BOMBER**

_Habitat_**:** Open areas: rivers, lakes and fields

_Description_**: **An animate mossy mound with wings.

_Diet_**:** Unknown

_Notes_**:** The Bomber is something of a mystery. One theory s that they occupy the realm of mock-plants, or that they are young earth sprites on the way to become fairy spirits, or that they are even disguised guardian fairies trying to protect their lands from intruders. Bombers fly around and raining fire magic on interlopers.

ITSONLYAFLOWERWHYAREYOURUNNI NG

**5. EYE PLANT**

_Habitat_**:** Deepwater

_Description_: A bulbous sea serpent with green and blue segments and a violet spine down its black and crest around its neck. Its blue eye is on a stalk on the top of its head.

_Diet_: Small fish, krill

_Notes_**:** Named for its resemblance to some species of Baba, the Eye Plant is an imposter: it is a sea serpent which, when irritated, will gather up objects (gravel, seeds, stones or even fish) in its mouth and spit them at the shore or at ships. Its tendency to spring up abruptly has been known to cause ships to capsize.

ITSONLYAFLOWERWHYAREYOURUNNI NG

**6. PICKIT PLANTS**

_A group of plant creatures known to thieve. _

_**Dexivine**_

_Habitat_**:** Forest and tall grasses

_Type_: Trap

_Description_**: **A long, prehensile vine of dark blue.

_Diet_**:** Magic

_Notes_**:** The dexivine is a magic thief, often planted to guard treasure. It is drawn to magic like sunflowers follow the sun and grasps at it: if the dexivine catches hold of magi it will try to drain their reserves. It is possible to struggle out of its hold.

_**Kalle Demos**_

_Habitat_**:** m

_Type_: Chameleon

_Description_: Primarily blue, green and violet, the Kalle Demos most resembles a Dekulike crossed with a squid. On its vines are hooks, some of which are a bright magenta: these are toxic.

_Diet_**:** Omnivore (whatever it can hold)

_Notes_**:** Either bred by green magi or mutated by wild or curse magic, the Kalle Demos is large and violently territorial, often making meals of intruders. It moves by walking on its vines and by hanging from them, although it can also put down roots.

_**Pickits**_

_Habitat_**:** Forests, caves

_Type_: Chameleon

_Description_**: **The smaller cousin of the Kalle Demos, the pickit walks on short purple vines and has a large orange bloom which can grow to be two feet wide and three tall. The bloom contains more prehensile vines. Like the Kalle Demos it can also have roots.

_Diet_**:** Insects, small mammals, small lizards, soil

_Notes_**:** The picket behaves similarly to the Kalle Demos, but is known to use its vines to snatch objects from passersby.

ITSONLYAFLOWERWHYAREYOURUNNI NG

**7. LEEVER**

_Habitat_**:** Sand, light soil

_Type_: Chameleon

_Description_**: **A sentient and plant which is mostly a very strong root system surrounding a tuber and a few small blooming growths used sense activity on the surface. The roots hold together stones and rich soils which feed and protect the leever.

_Diet_**:** sun and soil

_Notes_**:** The leever, which prefers hot and dry climates, is known for spinning and burrowing at high speeds. It has been known to defend its territory and self from trampling.

ITSONLYAFLOWERWHYAREYOURUNNI NG

**8. PEAHAT**

A group of plants with rotor leaves and varying levels of awareness. It flies during the day and rests its roots in the ground by night. Peahats are Chameleon type flowers, and all abhor the cold.

**Drifter **

_Habitat_: Desert

_Description_: A root bundle with stiff rotating branches of leaves on its crown.

_Diet_: Sun, soil

_Notes_: The drifter is the original peahat, from which all others were made by magi or spirits or demons. It is completely non-sentient and is transported by its leaves which spin in the morning and evening breezes, and by lift created by hot desert air. It settles down at night and gets what it can from the soil.

**Peahat**

_Habitat_**:** Various.

_Description_**: **A plant in red, orange or yellow with a red, yellow, orange or white bloom on its head. The blossom rotates quickly, allowing flight. The root-sack is found on the bottom of the peahat.

_Diet_**:** Sun and soil.

_Notes_**:** Peahats, a sentient plant, fly in swarms and are highly offensive. Yellow peahats are a maritime variety only.

**Pihatto**

_Habitat_**:** Fields

_Description_: A gigantic variety of peahat, growing to over twice the height of a man. The body is covered in a tough but light leathery skin of orange yellow and green, and topped with a ruddy flower. Unlike most peahats, its propeller leaves are low: between the body and vulnerable root sack. The propellers' span is several times wider than the peahat, and they are very ridged.

_Diet_**:** Sun, soil (which may include the remains of attackers)

_Notes_**:** An unusually solitary breed, and very dangerous.

**Ropa**

_Habitat_**:** tropical and coastal forests

_Description_: A green bodied and orange vined peahat. It resembles an anemone.

_Diet_: Insects, birds, small animals.

_Notes_: The ropa propels itself through the air by leaps and by spinning its vines/tentacles and is known to attack in swarms. It was created by a green mage, a cross of an anemone and a common peahat. It is especially hostile and prone to theft.

**Seahat**

_Habitat_: Maritimes

_Description_: The largest of the peahats, it is dark grey with yellow and light grey markings. It has only three propellers but is surprisingly light for its size.

_Diet_: Sun, krill, water-born nutrients

_Notes_: The seahat is unique in that it cannot rest on land, but acts like a seaweed clump while resting in the water. It can use its propellers to fly for a short time or to drag itself through the water at high speeds. The seahat is well known for knocking sailor overboard.

ITSONLYAFLOWERWHYAREYOURUNNI NG


End file.
